Neurotrophins and Phytochemicals: Potential Partners to Combat Neurodegenerative Diseases

Neurotrophins and phytochemicals have emerged as promising areas of research in the field of neuroscience and human health. Neurotrophins are a group of proteins that are essential for the growth and development of neurons in the nervous system. Four basic types of neurotrophins have been discovered in mammals: nerve growth factor (NGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), neurotrophin-3 (NT-3), and neurotrophin-4 (NT-4), and these proteins bind to specific receptors on neurons, initiating various signaling cascades that regulate neuronal processes. Dysregulation of neurotrophin expression and signaling have been implicated in various neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), Huntington’s disease (HD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In the search for treatment of these diseases, phytochemicals have gained attention due to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties. These plant-derived bioactive compounds have been found to protect against neurodegeneration by neutralizing reactive oxygen species, reducing inflammation, and modulating cellular signaling pathways involved in the diseases. Phytochemicals have been found to offer a promising avenue for targeting the dysregulation of neurotrophins observed in neurodegenerative diseases, either by modulating neurotrophin expression or the activity of neurotrophin receptors and downstream signaling molecules. In this chapter, we have provided an overview of neurotrophins, their receptors, and signaling pathways, as well as discussed the potential of phytochemicals in targeting and modulating neurotrophin expression in different neurodegenerative disorders.