Antioxidative role of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Parkinson’s disease

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Neuroprotective Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been practiced in alternative medicine from early days. TCM-derived neuroprotective compounds, such as Chrysin, Cannabidiol, Toonasinoids, and β-asaron, exert significant effectiveness’s towards Parkinson’s disease (PD). Further, these neuroprotective TCM showed antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-septic, analgesic properties. Recent research showed that the reduction in the reactive oxygen species (ROS) decreased the α-synuclein (α-syn) toxicity and enhanced the dopaminergic neuron regenerations, the main hallmarks of PD. Therefore, the neuroprotective effects of novel TCM due to its antiradical activities needed deep investigations.

Aims of the study: This review aims to enlighten the neuroprotective TCM and its components with their antioxidative properties to the scientific community for future research.

Method: The relevant information on the neuroprotective TCM was gathered from scientific databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, SciFinder, Wiley Online Library, ACS Publications, and CNKI). Information was also gained from MS and Ph.D. thesis, books, and online databases. The literature cited in this review dates from 2001 to June 2, 0201.

Results: Novel therapies for PD are accessible, mostly rely on Rivastigmine and Donepezil, offers to slow down the progression of disease at an early stage but embraces lots of disadvantages. Researchers are trying to find a potential drug against PD, which is proficient at preventing or curing the disease progress, but still needed to be further identified. Oxidative insult and mitochondrial dysfunction are thought to be the main culprit of neurodegenerations. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are the only causative agent in all interactions, leading to PD, from mitochondrial dysfunctions, α-syn aggregative toxicity, and DA neurons degenerations. It is evident from the redox balance, which seems an imperative therapeutic approach against PD and was necessary for the significant neuronal activities.

Conclusion: Our study is explaining the newly discovered TCM and their neuroprotective and antioxidative properties. But also bring up the possible treatment approaches against PD for future researchers.