Role of nutraceuticals on neurodegenerative diseases: neuroprotective and immunomodulant activity

Abstract

Neurodegeneration is a degenerative process characterized by the progressive loss of the structure and function of neurons that involves several immune cells. It is the primary cause of dementia and other several syndromes, known as neurodegenerative diseases. These disorders are age-related and it is estimated that by 2040 there will be approximately 81.1 million people suffering from these diseases. In addition to the traditional pharmacological therapy, in recent years nutraceuticals, naturally based compounds with a broad spectrum of biological effects: anti-aging, antioxidants, hypoglycaemic, hypocholesterolemic, anticancer, anxiolytic, antidepressant, etc., assumed an important role in counteracting these pathologies. In particular, several compounds such as astaxanthin, baicalein, glycyrrhizin, St. John's wort, and Ginkgo biloba L. extracts show particular neuroprotective and immunomodulatory abilities, involving several immune cells and some neurotransmitters that play a critical role in neurodegeneration, making them particularly useful in improving the symptoms and progression of neurodegenerative diseases.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Neurodegenerative diseases
• neuroprotection
• immune system
• nutraceuticals
• neuroinflammation

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to all researchers herein cited and their valuable works.

Disclosure statement

No potential competing interest was reported by the authors.

Data availability statement

The authors confirm that the data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article and its supplementary materials.

Funding

The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.