Phytochemicals’ Contribution in the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD) are the most frequent neurodegenerative disorders, according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIH). Millions of individuals throughout the world suffer from neurodegenerative illnesses.
Dementia, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, headache disorders, multiple sclerosis, neuroinfections, stroke, and cerebral palsy have all seen considerable increases in global incidence and prevalence throughout the years.
According to BIS Research, the global neurodegenerative disorder therapeutics market is expected to increase at a CAGR of 7.21% from 2020 to 2030.
Neurodegenerative Diseases
The phrase “neurodegenerative disease” refers to a group of disorders that predominantly damage the neurons in the brain. Neurodegenerative disorders are a severe hazard to people’s health.
These age-related illnesses are becoming more common due to the surge in the older population in previous years. Protein aggregation, inflammation, and oxidative load in the central nervous system (CNS) are all hallmarks of neurodegenerative disorders.
Neurodegenerative illnesses are connected to various biological processes, including neurotransmitter depletion or inadequate production, oxidative stress, and aberrant ubiquitination.
Synthetic medications have negative effects, even if they are utilized to treat Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, autism, and a variety of other serious disorders. Researchers have focused their attention on phytochemicals, most of which have few adverse effects.
Phytochemicals for Neurodegenerative Diseases
Several phytochemicals possess anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and anticholinesterase properties, making them attractive therapeutic agents.
Several neurodegenerative diseases exhibit many similar aspects at the cellular and subcellular levels. Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, and many other neurodegenerative illnesses have been linked to intracellular and extracellular alterations.
The cytosol and endoplasmic reticulum are accountable for producing new structural and functional protein molecules in cellular and subcellular biological processes.
The buildup of aberrant protein aggregation that results in inflammation and oxidative stress in the central nervous system is typical of neurodegenerative diseases.
The most frequent nervous system illnesses are Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), both of which are influenced by environmental and hereditary factors.
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a movement disorder marked by the aberrant accumulation of the protein -synuclein in neurons. Cognitive decline, neuronal loss, neuronal inflammation, and neuronal death, also known as apoptosis or necroptosis, are symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is yet another significant brain condition linked to CNS inflammation and characterized by learning and social difficulties with no apparent cause.
The neurodegeneration in the brain of people with ASD has a variety of biochemical and molecular characteristics. Children with ASD tend to act differently when they are stressed or exposed to specific foods, indicating that they have allergy symptoms.
Impact of Neurodegenerative Diseases
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 50 million individuals worldwide had epilepsy in June 2019, with nearly 80 percent living in low- and middle-income countries.
The Epilepsy Foundation estimates that 150,000 individuals in the U.S. get epilepsy each year, or 48 for every 100,000 people. Epilepsy affects around 3.4 million people in the U.S.
In 2017, the Huntington’s Disease Society of America estimated that 30,000 individuals in the U.S. had Huntington’s disease, with another 200,000 at risk.
The chance of developing a neurodegenerative illness rises considerably as one gets older. The rise in elderly populations is linked to an increase in the prevalence of neurological diseases.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Although neurodegenerative illnesses are frequently portrayed as separate entities, there is occasional overlap at times, for instance, between Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body disorders.
Neurological dysfunction will remain the gold standard for the future because none of the neurodegenerative illnesses have complete diagnostic precision.
As for treatment, there are presently no medications available to prevent or treat neurodegenerative illnesses.
Medications for symptom management can be beneficial. Physiotherapy, speech pathology, occupational therapy, and psychiatry are alternative options for managing symptoms and maintaining everyday activities. To enhance the standard of life of patients with neurodegenerative illnesses, a multidisciplinary approach is usually used.
New therapies for neurodegenerative illnesses are still being researched. One of the most interesting therapies involves using stem cells to repair dead neurons. With so many talented minds working on a solution, those suffering from these ailments should soon be able to find relief.
Final Thoughts
The burden of neurological diseases is relatively high and constantly growing. A billion individuals globally are expected to be affected by neurological illnesses and their consequences.
These illnesses affect people of all ages who live in all parts of the world. The number of persons suffering from neurological diseases is expected to rise dramatically in the coming years.
Due to their anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and anticholinesterase properties, phytochemicals might be exploited as a viable treatment agent for neurodegenerative illnesses in the future.
At the cellular and subcellular level, neurodegenerative illnesses such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s have comparable characteristics.
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