Nutraceuticals Unveiled a Multifaceted Neuroprotective Mechanisms for Parkinson's Disease: Elixir for the Brain

Introduction: Nutraceuticals are food-derived products offering supplementary health benefits. These nutraceuticals have been found effective in the treatment of the Parkinson's disease (PD) as they possess multifaceted effects against neurodegeneration. Nutraceuticals have proven their safety and efficacy in several pre-clinical and clinical trials against PD, however, still there is an urgent need to report the health benefits of nutraceuticals on a broader platform and evaluate their complete molecular mechanism against PD. Area covered: The review emphasizes the role of nutraceuticals in combating pathogenic mechanisms associated with PD. These include, mitochondrial dysfunction, protein ubiquitination, oxidative stress, excitotoxicity, neurotransmitter imbalance, neuroinflammation, inhibition of PPAR-gamma/PGC-1 alpha/NRF-2, and PON2 signaling pathways. The review also includes pre-clinical and clinical aspects of nutraceuticals in balancing the impaired gut-brain axis in PD. Expert opinion: In recent years there have been many reports on neuroprotective potential of PD. The growing interest showed that various supplements, including polyphenols, vitamins, minerals, and the Mediterranean diet, can aid promising therapeutic properties for relieving PD symptoms. However, at present, there is no specific nutraceutical that has been designed to treat the symptoms of PD. Future studies on nutraceuticals may focus on developing individualized as well as customized therapies using specialized nutraceuticals based on epigenetics and the expression of PD.