A review on bioactive heterocycles for treating neurodegenerative disorders

Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimers, Parkinsons, and Huntingtons disease are characterized by progressive neuronal loss and multifactorial pathogenic mechanisms including oxidative stress, protein aggregation, neuroinflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Current treatment options are largely symptomatic, underscoring the urgent need for novel, multitarget therapeutic agents. Heterocyclic compoundsorganic molecules containing at least one non-carbon atom within their ring structurehave emerged as versatile scaffolds in medicinal chemistry due to their structural diversity, ease of functionalization, and ability to modulate multiple biochemical pathways simultaneously.This comprehensive review examines the pharmacological potential of various heterocyclic classes such as isoxazoles, quinolines, morpholine derivatives, and Schiff base-linked frameworks in neurodegenerative disease therapy. It highlights their synthesis strategies including green chemistry approaches, multicomponent reactions, and metal-free catalysis that offer high efficiency and scalability. The review further explores structure-activity relationships, multitarget activity, BBB permeability, and preclinical outcomes to establish a conceptual framework for rational drug design. These findings support the continued development of heterocyclic compounds as next-generation neurotherapeutic agents.