Role of natural products for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

Negative psychological and physiological consequences of neurodegenerative disorders represent a high social and health cost. Among the neurodegenerative disorders Alzheimer's disease (AD) is recognized as a leading neurodegenerative condition and a primary cause of dementia in the elderlys. AD is considered as neurodegenerative disorder that progressively impairs cognitive function and memory. According to current epidemiological data, about 50 milLion people worldwide are suffering from AD. The primary symptoms of AD are almost inappreciable and usually comprise forgetfulness of recent events. Numerous processes are involved in the development of AD, for example oxidative stress (OS) mainly due to mitochondrial dysfunction, intracellular the accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau (τ) proteins in the form of neurofibrillary tangles, excessive the accumulation of extracellular plaques of beta-amyloid (Aβ), genetic and environmental factors. Running treatments only attenuate symptoms and temporarily reduce the rate of cognitive progression associated with AD. This means that most treatments focus only on controlLing symptoms, particularly in the initial stages of the disease. In the past, the first choice of treatment was based on natural ingredients. In this sense, diverse natural products (NPs) are capable to decrease the symptoms and alleviate the development of several diseases including AD attracting the attention of the scientific community and the pharmaceutical industry. Specifically, numerous NPs including flavonoids, gingerols, tannins, anthocyanins, triterpenes and alkaloids have been shown anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-amyloidogenic, and anti-choLinesterase properties. This review provide a summary of the pathogenesis and the therapeutic goals of AD. It also discusses the available data on various plants and isolated natural compounds used to prevent and diminish the symptoms of AD.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; Beta-amyloid (Aβ); Natural products; Oxidative stress; Tau (τ).