Abstract
Neurological disorders are important causes of morbidity and mortality around the world. The increasing prevalence of neurological disorders, associated with an aging population, has intensified the societal burden associated with these diseases, for which no effective treatment strategies currently exist. Therefore, the identification and development of novel therapeutic approaches, able to halt or reverse neuronal loss by targeting the underlying causal factors that lead to neurodegeneration and neuronal cell death, are urgently necessary. Plants and other natural products have been explored as sources of safe, naturally occurring secondary metabolites with potential neuroprotective properties. The secondary metabolites α- and β-asarone can be found in high levels in the rhizomes of the medicinal plant Acorus calamus (L.). α- and β-asarone exhibit multiple pharmacological properties including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiapoptotic, anticancer, and neuroprotective effects. This paper aims to provide an overview of the current research on the therapeutic potential of α- and β-asarone in the treatment of neurological disorders, particularly neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), as well as cerebral ischemic disease, and epilepsy. Current research indicates that α- and β-asarone exert neuroprotective effects by mitigating oxidative stress, abnormal protein accumulation, neuroinflammation, neurotrophic factor deficit, and promoting neuronal cell survival, as well as activating various neuroprotective signalling pathways. Although the beneficial effects exerted by α- and β-asarone have been demonstrated through in vitro and in vivo animal studies, additional research is required to translate laboratory results into safe and effective therapies for patients with AD, PD, and other neurological and neurodegenerative diseases.
Highlights
The nervous system, a complex network of nerves and specialized cells, is responsible for the control of the body and communication among its parts
An acute toxicity test revealed that the oral median lethal dose (LD50 ) for α-asarone in mice was greater than 1000 mg/kg, with no deaths reported in any test groups [60]
Pathway-related proteins, an effect that was inhibited by an nuclear factorerythroid factor 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) inhibitor [31]. These findings suggest that the antioxidant effects of α- and β-asarone could contribute to their therapeutic benefits in the treatment of neurological disorders
Summary
The nervous system, a complex network of nerves and specialized cells, is responsible for the control of the body and communication among its parts. Neurological disorders are characterized by acute and progressive neuron degeneration, resulting in brain dysfunction and neuronal cell death [3]. A. calamus and its primary bioactive constituents have been found to reduce stressinduced immunosuppression in rats, resulting in improved immune function [42] Both αand β-asarone are widely studied bioactive secondary metabolites, featuring a broad range of pharmacological properties, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, antidiabetic, anticancer, antifungal, antimicrobial, anti-ulcer, anti-allergic, wound healing, pesticidal, insecticidal, and radioprotective properties, among others [36,43,44,45,46,47]
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have