Natural Product-based Nanomedicine: Recent Advances and Issues for the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease

• Published in: Current Neuropharmacology
• Main Author: Woon C.K.; Hui W.K.; Abas R.; Haron M.H.; Das S.; Lin T.S.
• Format: Review
• Language: English
• Published: Bentham Science Publishers 2022
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85132808377&doi=10.2174%2f1570159X20666211217163540&partnerID=40&md5=27b66d0a597aee1a9a5c90c2750ee872

Alzheimer's disease (AD) affects the elderly and is characterized by progressive neuro-degeneration caused by different pathologies. The most significant challenges in treating AD in-clude the inability of medications to reach the brain because of its poor solubility, low bioavailabil-ity, and the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Additionally, current evidence suggests the disruption of BBB plays an important role in the pathogenesis of AD. One of the critical challenges in treating AD is the ineffective treatments and their severe adverse effects. Nanotechnology offers an alternative approach to facilitate the treatment of AD by overcoming the challenges in drug transport across the BBB. Various nanoparticles (NP) loaded with natural products were reported to aid in drug delivery for the treatment of AD. The nano-sized entities of NP are great platforms for incorporating active materials from natural products into formulations that can be delivered effectively to the intended action site without compromising the material's bioactivity. The review high-lights the applications of medicinal plants, their derived components, and various nanomedicine-based approaches for the treatment of AD. The combination of medicinal plants and nanotechnology may lead to new theragnostic solutions for the treatment of AD in the future. © 2022 Bentham Science Publishers.