The potential use of plant natural products and plant extracts with antioxidant properties for the prevention/treatment of neurodegenerative diseases: in vitro, in vivo and clinical trials.

Pohl, Franziska; Kong Thoo Lin, Paul

Abstract

Neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease, present a major health issue and financial burden for health care systems around the world. The impact of these diseases will further increase over the next decades due to increasing life expectancies. No cure is currently available for the treatment of these conditions; only drugs, which merely alleviate the symptoms. Oxidative stress has long been associated with neurodegeneration, whether as a cause or as part of the downstream results caused by other factors. Thus, the use of antioxidants to counter cellular oxidative stress within the nervous system has been suggested as a potential treatment option for neurological disorders. Over the last decade, significant research has focused on the potential use of natural antioxidants to target oxidative stress. However, clinical trial results have lacked success for the treatment of patients with neurological disorders. The knowledge that natural extracts show other positive molecular activities in addition to antioxidant activity, however, has led to further research of natural extracts for their potential use as prevention or treatment/management of neurodegenerative diseases. This review will cover several in vitro and in vivo research studies, as well as clinical trials, and highlight the potential of natural antioxidants.

Citation

POHL, F. and KONG THOO LIN, P. 2018. The potential use of plant natural products and plant extracts with antioxidant properties for the prevention/treatment of neurodegenerative diseases: in vitro, in vivo and clinical trials. Molecules [online], 23(12), article ID 3283. Available from: https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules23123283

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 30, 2018
• Online Publication Date: Dec 11, 2018
• Publication Date: Dec 31, 2018
• Deposit Date: Dec 14, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 14, 2018
• Journal: Molecules
• Electronic ISSN: 1420-3049
• Publisher: MDPI
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 23
• Issue: 12
• Article Number: 3283
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules23123283
• Keywords: Antioxidants; Natural products; In vitro; In vivo; Clinical trials; Plant extracts; Phytochemicals; Phenolics; Ginkgo biloba; Secondary metabolites
• Public URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10059/3238
• Contract Date: Dec 14, 2018