Phytochemicals as therapeutic interventions in neurodegenerative diseases

Abstract Neurological disorders are ranked as a leading disorder under the subgroup of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in 2015 under the global burden of diseases and second highest leading cause of death. Many diseases other than neurological diseases could also lead to neurodegenerative effects in their later progressive stages. This kind of neuronal loss in the central nervous system has led to prominent functional disability and is responsible for chronic neurodegenerative disease pathology such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and multiple sclerosis diseases worldwide. Till date, a wide range of drugs are available for the control and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, but the outcome of this is presently unsatisfactory. Thus, novel strategies and drugs for curing and preventing the diseases are in high demand. Presently, researchers are now concentrating in targeting the disease pathogenesis by bioactive compounds from natural sources. This chapter details the various neurodegenerative disorders, their possible druggable targets, medicinal plants, and bioactive compounds effective for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and drugs in clinical trials.