The growth of the average lifespan of the global population is accompanied
by a progressive increase in the prevalence of neurodegenerative disease (NDD).
Common NDDs such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s diseases, and others
are known to be strongly related to aging. The prevalence of NDD is expected to
increase steeply with the increment in life expectancy. The currently available
therapeutic interventions are mainly symptomatic, and most have failed to reverse or
slow down the disease progression. Hence, new treatments and preventive measures are
urgently needed. Plants from the Lamiaceae family have reported several
neuroprotective effects attributed to the abundance of secondary metabolites that could
target multiple pathways of the cellular death mechanism. Owing to the multifactorial
nature of NDDs, the abundance of secondary metabolites in plants has attracted the
attention of researchersto the neuroprotective potentials of natural products. The
neuroprotective effects and bioactive constituents of common herbs such as Perilla
frutescens (Perilla), Sideritis scardica (Ironwort), Ocimum sanctum (Holy basil),
Origanum syriacum (Lebanese oregano), Satureja bachtiarica (Bakhtiari savory),
Orthosiphon stamineus (Cat whisker), Prunella vulgaris (Prunella), Pogostemon cablin
(Patchouli) and Stachys sieboldii (Japanese artichoke) from the Lamiaceae family are
discussed in this chapter. The neuroprotective property of these herbs relied on their
ability to target the underlying mechanisms of neuronal cell death, such as aberrant
protein aggregation, excessive oxidative stress, neurotransmission system dysfunction,
neuroinflammation, and others. The multi-targeting ability of these plants is attributed
to their complex chemical compositions with different bioactive compounds. Thus, the
incorporation of these plants and herbs into the management of NDD should be further
explored. Their role as dietary supplements to preserve the function of the nervous
system is also strongly advocate.
Keywords: Lamiaceae, Neurodegenerative disease, Neuroprotective, Ocimum
sanctum, Origanum syriacum, Orthosiphon stamineus, Perilla frutescens,
Pogostemon cablin, Satureja bachtiarica, Sideritis scardica, Stachys sieboldii.
