The Role of Medicinal Plants in the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases: Advances, Challenges, and Future Perspectives
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Bioactives and Nutraceuticals".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 September 2025 | Viewed by 52
Special Issue Editor
Interests: liquid chromatography; planar chromatography; micellar chromatography; bioactive compounds; QRARs; QSA(P)Rs; pharmacokinetics; blood brain barrier
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are characterised by a gradual loss of neurons, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and protein aggregation. In many cases, despite extensive research, it has proven extremely difficult to find treatments that can truly change the course of these diseases. However, medicinal plants offer promise as alternative treatments, thanks to their broad spectrum of bioactive compounds—such as alkaloids, flavonoids and terpenoids—which have shown neuroprotective effects at the molecular level. This Special Issue looks at new trends in plant-based approaches to neurodegeneration.
We focus on the molecular mechanisms involved, such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-apoptotic mechanisms. We invite original research and review articles that explore the pharmacological potential of medicinal plants in influencing key cellular processes, including autophagy, synaptic plasticity and neurotransmitter regulation. In addition, we encourage discussions on challenges and obstacles in drug development, bioavailability and clinical translation. By bringing together the latest research, this issue aims to deepen our understanding of plant-derived neuroprotective strategies and their potential role in future treatments.
Dr. Katarzyna E. Stȩpnik
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- medicinal plants
- neuroprotection
- neurodegeneration
- plant secondary metabolites
- molecular mechanisms
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