A Comprehensive Review of Therapeutic Compounds from Plants for Neurodegenerative Diseases

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) comprise a large number of disorders that affects the structure and functions of the nervous system. The major cause of various neurodegenerative diseases includes protein aggregation, oxidative stress and inflammation. Over the last decade, there has been a gradual inclination in neurological research in order to find drugs that can prevent, slow down, or treat these diseases. The most common NDDs are Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's illnesses, which claims the lives of 6.8 million people worldwide each year and it is expected to rise by 7.1%. The focus on alternative medicine, particularly plant-based products, has grown significantly in recent years. Plants are considered as a good source of biologically active molecules and hence phytochemical screening of plants will pave way for the discovering new drugs. Neurodegeneration has been linked to oxidative stress, either as a direct cause or as a side effect of other variables. Therefore, it has been proposed that the use of antioxidants to combat cellular oxidative stress within the nervous system may be a viable therapeutic strategy for neurological illnesses. In order to prevent and treat NDDs, this review article covers the therapeutic compounds/ metabolites from plants with the neuroprotective role. However, these exhibit other beneficial molecular functions in addition to antioxidative activity, making them a potential application in the management or prevention of neurodegenerative disorders. Further, it gives the insights to the future researchers about considering the peptide based therapeutics through various mechanisms for delaying or curing neurodegenerative diseases.