Genistein: A promising ally in combating neurodegenerative disorders

Neurodegenerative disorders arise when nerve cells in the brain or peripheral nervous system gradually lose functions and eventually die. Although certain therapies may alleviate some of the physical and mental symptoms associated with neurodegenerative disorders, hence slowing their progression, but no sure-shot treatment is currently available. It was shown that the rise in life expectancy and the number of elderly people in the community led to an increasing trend in the incidence and prevalence of neurodegenerative disease. Phytomolecules are demonstrating their effectiveness in combating, regression, and delaying various diseases. Genistein is one of soy isoflavone with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and estrogenic effects. Researchers demonstrated that Genistein treatment significantly reduced hyperglycemia, improved cognitive performance by modulating acetylcholinesterase activity and oxidative stress, and alleviated neuroinflammatory conditions in mice. This paper evaluates (in vivo and in vitro) various molecular targets of isoflavones and their ability to effectively counter several neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and Huntington's diseases and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. In this review, we aim to provide an overview of the role that genistein plays in delaying the development of neurodegenerative disorders.