Medicinal plants possessed anti-Parkinsonian effects with emphasis on their mechanisms of action

Abstract

Parkinsonʼs disease is a progressive neurodegenerative dysfunction characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons of the nigrostriatal system. Dopamine is important to maintain normal movement patterns. The cardinal physical signs of the disease are distal resting tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, and asymmetric onset. Treatment aims to improve these motor symptoms. Many medicinal plants possessed Parkinsonian effects by different mechanisms, included inhibition of α-synuclein condensation, reduction of oxidative stress and neuro-inflammation, increase of dopaminergic neurons survival, blockade of the adenosine A_2A receptor and regulation of molecular pathways involved in neuronal survival such as MAPK, Nrf2, and NF-κB, thus exerted neuroprotective actions. In the present review, we highlight the medicinal plants with potential anti-Parkinsonian effects with discussing the mechanisms of their beneficial effects.