Department of Neurology, Interdisciplinary Excellence Centre, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Semmelweis Street 6, H-6725 Szeged, Hungary.
MTA-SZTE, Neuroscience Research Group, Semmelweis Street 6, H-6725 Szeged, Hungary.
Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Jan 2;22(1):403. doi: 10.3390/ijms22010403.
The incidence of neurodegenerative diseases has increased greatly worldwide due to the rise in life expectancy. In spite of notable development in the understanding of these disorders, there has been limited success in the development of neuroprotective agents that can slow the progression of the disease and prevent neuronal death. Some natural products and molecules are very promising neuroprotective agents because of their structural diversity and wide variety of biological activities. In addition to their neuroprotective effect, they are known for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic effects and often serve as a starting point for drug discovery. In this review, the following natural molecules are discussed: firstly, kynurenic acid, the main neuroprotective agent formed via the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan metabolism, as it is known mainly for its role in glutamate excitotoxicity, secondly, the dietary supplement pantethine, that is many sided, well tolerated and safe, and the third molecule, α-lipoic acid is a universal antioxidant. As a conclusion, because of their beneficial properties, these molecules are potential candidates for neuroprotective therapies suitable in managing neurodegenerative diseases.
由于预期寿命的延长，世界范围内神经退行性疾病的发病率大大增加。尽管人们对这些疾病的认识有了显著的发展，但在开发神经保护剂方面却收效甚微，这些神经保护剂可以减缓疾病的进展并防止神经元死亡。一些天然产物和分子是非常有前途的神经保护剂，因为它们具有结构多样性和广泛的生物活性。除了具有神经保护作用外，它们还具有抗氧化、抗炎和抗细胞凋亡作用，并且经常作为药物发现的起点。在这篇综述中，讨论了以下天然分子：首先，犬尿氨酸，色氨酸代谢的犬尿酸途径形成的主要神经保护剂，因为它主要因其在谷氨酸兴奋性毒性中的作用而闻名；其次，膳食补充剂泛硫乙胺，具有多方面、耐受性好且安全；第三种分子，α-硫辛酸是一种通用的抗氧化剂。总之，由于它们的有益特性，这些分子是适合管理神经退行性疾病的神经保护疗法的潜在候选者。
