Harnessing nature – plant compunds as potential breakthrough therapeutics for Parkinon’s Disease

Introduction and Objective.Parkinson disease (PD) is the second most common progressive neurodegenerative disorder.Aetiology evolves around atrophy of dopaminergic neurons located in the substantia nigra.The main ailments that impair motricity include generalized bradykinesia and at least one other symptom of resting tremor or rigidity.In addition to cardinal PD symptoms, the disease can also cause a range of non-motor disabilities.The aim of the review is to describe natural plantorigin substances currently being tested in specific PD models that could become detrimental to PD management in the future.Review Methods.A search of PubMed was conducted for original articles examining the use of natural plant-derived products in animal or cell models of PD.Two search formulations were used to broaden the scope of the results: 'natural product' and 'plant', and 'Parkinson's disease' and 'natural product, and 'herb' and 'Parkinson's disease'.Brief description of the state of knowledge.Currently, it is thought that at the molecular level, substantia nigra atrophy may be related to the accumulation of abnormal proteins in the form of Levy bodies (LBs), mitochondrial disorders, neuroinflammation, and disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) function.In recent years, many etiologies of PD have been indicated.Current state-of-the-art treatments for PD are only symptomatic, and causative medication is unavailable.Summary.The use of natural components is very promising in the current search for effective PD treatments.Their mechanism of action is based on complex molecular mechanisms, the disorders of which are the basis for the occurrence of PD in humans.Harnessing the therapeutic potential of these natural compounds may be crucial for the future treatment of PD patients.However, rigorous evaluation of pharmacokinetics, bioavailability, among others, need to be established.