Progress in the development of naturally derived active metabolites-based drugs: Potential therapeutics for...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Pharmacology
• Botany

Background:

• Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a significant age-associated neurodegenerative disorder.
• Current treatments for AD are limited, with many amyloid-beta (Aβ) targeted clinical trials showing poor efficacy, especially in late stages.
• Existing AD drugs have inadequate clinical outcomes and notable side effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore pharmacological principles for current and future Alzheimer's disease (AD) drug development.
• To investigate multitargeting strategies combining general antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and specific neuroprotective mechanisms.
• To highlight the potential of phytochemicals and natural products in decelerating AD onset and progression.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on AD pathology and therapeutic approaches.
• Focus on multitargeting pharmacological strategies for neuroprotection.
• Exploration of the role of natural products, specifically phytochemicals and medicinal plants, in AD management.

Main Results:

• The amyloid-beta (Aβ) hypothesis has shown limited success in late-stage Alzheimer's disease (AD) clinical trials.
• Multitargeting approaches integrating antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and receptor/enzyme-mediated actions show promise for neuroprotection.
• Phytochemicals derived from medicinal plants possess diverse bioactive metabolites with potential to slow AD progression.

Conclusions:

• Medicinal plants are a rich source of bioactive constituents with therapeutic potential for Alzheimer's disease (AD).
• Natural products and their derivatives offer a promising avenue for developing novel agents to prevent neurodegeneration and support cognitive aging.
• Targeting neuroprotection through natural compounds presents a viable strategy to combat Alzheimer's disease (AD).