Medicinal
plants have been used since ages for the treatment of human diseases in the
Indian medicinal system of Ayurveda. Parkinson's diseases (PD) on the other
hand is a kind of neurodegenerative disorder that shows debilitating symptoms; and
the treatment of the disease rely on the symptomatic management. The drugs available
for the treatment of the disease show severe side effects on prolonged usage. Thus,
many medicinal plants and their derivative natural compounds have been tested for
their anti-Parkinsonian activity with minimal side effects. Mucuna pruriens, Withania somnifera, Tinospora
cordifolia are the example of medicinal plants
that have shown anti-Parkinsonian activity while the natural compounds found in
medicinal plants like Baicalein, curcumin, Ginseng, Resveratol have also
maintained the nerve cell function and prevented the neuronal death. Thus, the
polyphenols and other bioactive constituent of medicinal plants should be
further studied for their therapeutic intervention against PD.
Keywords: Parkinson's disease, Medicinal plants, polyphenols, neurodegeneration, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, dopaminergic neurons, substantia nigra.
