Phytochemical Nanoparticles for the Treatment of Neurological Disorders
Touraj Ehtezazi, Satyajit D. Sarker
Abstract
Neurological disorders impose a significant burden on the healthcare systems. The latest published data by WHO indicated that stroke was the second leading cause of death globally in 2020, with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other dementias in the seventh position. The treatment of neurological disorders is challenging because of the complex nature of the disease, as well as limited accessibility to this target organ due to several biological barriers. There is a wide range of treatment options for neurological disorders. Small drug molecules, antibodies, and stem cells have been employed for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as AD, but currently, there is no effective treatment for AD. As conventional drugs have not been successful in achieving therapeutic outcomes, natural products such as curcumin, stemming from traditional medicines, have been tested for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as AD. However, this compound has not shown significant therapeutic effects for the treatment of brain diseases, mainly due to rapid clearance from the body. Therefore, phytochemical nanoparticles have been developed. In this review article, the rationale has been provided for the use of nanoparticles for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases with emphasis on phytochemical nanoparticles.