Screening and evaluation of natural compounds for therapeutic application in Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the most common causes of dementia, which is affecting more than 26 million people, globally. It is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys cognitive memory. The major pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease is deposition of senile plaques (Amyloid Plaques) and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) in the brain causing neuronal damage, ultimately leading to the loss of cognitive function and memory loss. Currently, there are no drugs available in the market neither for complete cure nor for the symptomatic relief of Alzheimer’s disease. Currently available drugs can prolong the onset of the disease or delay the disease progression. Several synthetic drugs failed during their development as treatment due to lack of efficacy and/or toxicity. The possible alternative would be to considering the compounds from natural sources which are used for human therapeutic applications from time immemorial and are found to be safe for human consumptions. In the current study, natural molecules were screened against a validated drug target and evaluated for potential therapeutic efficacy for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. The research work proposed a multipotent and efficacious neuroprotective molecule, which can be further considered for the development as a drug for the treatment/management of Alzheimer's disease.