title: Phytochemicals that regulate neurodegenerative disease by targeting neurotrophins: a comprehensive review.
abstract: Alzheimer's disease (AD), characterized by progressive dementia and deterioration of cognitive function, is an unsolved social and medical problem. Age, nutrition, and toxins are the most common causes of AD. However, currently no credible treatment is available for AD. Traditional herbs and phytochemicals may delay its onset and slow its progression and also allow recovery by targeting multiple pathological causes by antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and antiamyloidogenic properties. They also regulate mitochondrial stress, apoptotic factors, free radical scavenging system, and neurotrophic factors. Neurotrophins such as BDNF, NGF, NT3, and NT4/5 play a vital role in neuronal and nonneuronal responses to AD. Neurotrophins depletion accelerates the progression of AD and therefore, replacing such neurotrophins may be a potential treatment for neurodegenerative disease. Here, we review the phytochemicals that mediate the signaling pathways involved in neuroprotection specifically neurotrophin-mediated activation of Trk receptors and members of p75(NTR) superfamily. We focus on representative phenolic derivatives, iridoid glycosides, terpenoids, alkaloids, and steroidal saponins as regulators of neurotrophin-mediated neuroprotection. Although these phytochemicals have attracted attention owing to their in vitro neurotrophin potentiating activity, their in vivo and clinical efficacy trials has yet to be established. Therefore, further research is necessary to prove the neuroprotective effects in preclinical models and in humans.
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Gachon University, No. 191, Hambakmoero, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 406-799, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Ramu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Venkatesan
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Gachon University, No. 191, Hambakmoero, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 406-799, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Eunhee
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Gachon University, No. 191, Hambakmoero, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 406-799, Republic of Korea ; Gachon Medical Research Institute, Gil Medical Center, Inchon 405-760, Republic of Korea ; Gachon Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, Gachon University, No. 191 Hambakmoe-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 406-799, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sun Yeou
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D028321:Plant Preparations; D011134:Polysaccharides; C010491:neurotropin