Department of Biochemistry and Nutrition, CSIR-CFTRI, Mysore - 570020, India.
CNS Neurol Disord Drug Targets. 2014 Feb;13(1):82-95. doi: 10.2174/18715273113126660188.
Exploiting the potential of natural compounds to attenuate endogenous redox status to achieve neuroprotection is a novel concept in human disease therapy. This has necessitated a need to identify newer efficient phytochemicals possessing propensity to act on various biochemical therapeutic targets with low or no toxicity. Selaginella is a lithophytic pteridophyte which grows on constantly irrigated rocks in high altitude zones in different parts of the world. It is appraised to be "Sanjeevani" (the resurrection herb) based on its mythological reference in the Indian epic "Ramayana". Due to the presence of a unique disaccharide, trehalose, most species of Selaginella can survive severe drought conditions, maintaining the plant's structural stability and resurrect during rains. Several species of the genus are used in ethnic medicine for the therapy of jaundice, chronic trachitis, lung cancer, labor pain and wound healing. The major natural compounds in the genus Selaginella are characteristic flavonoid-dimers, called 'biflavonoids'. Although various biological effects of Selaginella have been documented in vitro, studies on its neuromodulatory properties are nonexisting despite the presence of potentially therapeutic biflavonoids. We have reviewed the existing literature on the possible pharmacological properties of Selaginella. Further, recent evidence gathered from our laboratory on the neuromodulatory propensity of S. delicatula employing in vivo models of chemically induced neurodegenerative diseases in rodents and Drosophila are discussed. Our findings point to a mechanism which modulates redox status and mitochondrial dysfunction suggesting their possible therapeutic use in oxidative stress-mediated neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson's disease.
利用天然化合物来减轻内源性氧化还原状态以实现神经保护是人类疾病治疗的新概念。这就需要识别出具有作用于各种生化治疗靶点的潜力、毒性低或无毒的新型有效植物化学物质。卷柏是一种石生蕨类植物，生长在世界各地高海拔地区不断灌溉的岩石上。它因其在印度史诗《罗摩衍那》中的神话参考而被评价为“Sanjeevani”（复活草）。由于存在独特的二糖海藻糖，大多数卷柏物种能够在严重干旱条件下生存，保持植物的结构稳定性，并在降雨时复活。该属的几个物种被用于民族医学，用于治疗黄疸、慢性气管炎、肺癌、分娩疼痛和伤口愈合。卷柏属的主要天然化合物是特征性的黄酮二聚体，称为“双黄酮”。尽管已经在体外记录了卷柏的各种生物学效应，但尽管存在潜在的治疗性双黄酮，但其神经调节特性的研究却不存在。我们已经回顾了关于卷柏可能的药理学特性的现有文献。此外，我们实验室最近从化学诱导的啮齿动物和果蝇神经退行性疾病的体内模型中获得的关于 S. delicatula 的神经调节倾向的证据也进行了讨论。我们的发现指向一种调节氧化还原状态和线粒体功能障碍的机制，表明它们可能在包括帕金森病在内的氧化应激介导的神经退行性疾病的治疗中具有潜在用途。
