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Natural Compounds in Neurological Diseases

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Dear Colleagues,

Neurological diseases or disorders are diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system. The WHO recognizes stroke, migraine, dementia, meningitis, and epilepsy as the five largest contributors. Still, the burden of neurological diseases is widely unrecognized. In recent years, a lot of scientific proof has been collected pointing out that the immune system interacts with most neurological disorders. Neuroinflammation comprises inflammation-like processes inside the parenchyma of the central nervous system. Inflammatory responses mediated by brain cells, microglia, and astrocytes, may lead to neuronal damage contributing to the development of neurological morbidities. Therapeutic approaches aiming to modulate microglia and astrocyte activation may be beneficial to mitigate the progression of neurological diseases. Natural products offer an opportunity to discover new compounds that can be converted into drugs given their chemical structure diversity.

This Special Issue will address some of the main current research on the role of natural compounds in neurological diseases, with particular interest in the ones that explore the inflammatory-mediated responses.

Dr. Daniela Ribeiro
Dr. Laura Oliveira
Guest Editors

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Keywords

neurological disorders
neuroinflammation
inflammatory mediators
immune system
infection
natural products

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Research

14 pages, 2663 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Computational Studies to Understand the Neuroprotective Mechanism of Action Basil Compounds

by Varinder Singh, Somdutt Mujwar, Manjinder Singh, Tanveer Singh and Sheikh F. Ahmad

Molecules 2023, 28(20), 7005; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28207005 - 10 Oct 2023

Viewed by 1076

Abstract

Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, pose a significant global health challenge, emphasizing the need for novel neuroprotective agents. Basil (Ocimum spp.) has been recognized for its therapeutic potential, and numerous studies have reported neuroprotective effects. In this manuscript, we present a computational protocol to extricate the underlying mechanism of action of basil compounds in neuroprotective effects. Molecular docking-based investigation of the chemical interactions between selected bioactive compounds from basil and key neuroprotective targets, including AChE, GSK3β, γ-secretase, and sirtuin2. Our results demonstrate that basil compound myricerone caffeoyl ester possesses a high affinity of −10.01 and −8.85 kcal/mol against GSK3β and γ-secretase, respectively, indicating their potential in modulating various neurobiological processes. Additionally, molecular dynamics simulations were performed to explore the protein–ligand complexes’ stability and to analyze the bound basil compounds’ dynamic behavior. This comprehensive computational investigation enlightens the putative mechanistic basis for the neuroprotective effects of basil compounds, providing a rationale for their therapeutic use in neurodegenerative disorders after further experimental validation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Compounds in Neurological Diseases)

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11 pages, 2900 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Dried Loquat Fruit Extract Containing Chlorogenic Acid Prevents Depressive-like Behaviors Induced by Repeated Corticosteroid Injections in Mice

by Dong Wook Lim, Guijae Yoo and Changho Lee

Molecules 2023, 28(14), 5612; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28145612 - 24 Jul 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 943

Abstract

Eriobotrya japonica (loquat tree) has been used in traditional medicine to treat respiratory ailments, inflammation, and skin diseases; however, its potential antidepressant-like effects have not been extensively investigated. In this study, we evaluated the antidepressant-like effects of E. japonica fruit extract (EJFE) in a mouse model of corticosterone (CORT)-induced depression. An HPLC analysis revealed that chlorogenic acid (CGA) is the major compound in EJFE. Male ICR mice (5weeks-old) were injected with CORT (40 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) once daily for 21 days to induce depressive-like behaviors. Various behavioral tests, including the open field test, rotarod test, elevated plus maze (EPM), passive avoidance test (PAT), tail suspension test (TST), and forced swim test (FST), were conducted 1 h after the oral administration of EJFE at different doses (30, 100, and 300 mg/kg) and CGA (30 mg/kg). High-dose EJFE and CGA significantly alleviated CORT-induced depressive-like behaviors, as indicated by the reduced immobility times in the TST and FST. A decrease in the step-through latency time in the PAT, without an effect on locomotor activity, suggested an improvement in cognitive function. Moreover, EJFE- and CGA-treated mice exhibited significantly reduced anxiety-like behaviors in the EPM. Our results imply the promising potential of EJFE containing CGA as a therapeutic candidate for depression. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Compounds in Neurological Diseases)

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