A Potential Alternative against Neurodegenerative Diseases: Phytodrugs

Figure 4

Main neuronal death pathways caused by oxidative stress. Oxidative stress can lead to neuronal death via several mechanisms such as mitochondrial dysfunction, DNA damage, membrane permeability loss, protein aggregation, and apoptosis. Phytodrugs, mainly polyphenols and alkaloids, can prevent this neuronal damage and, therefore, cellular death. Thus, these natural compounds can be used in the treatment of ND and also could serve as models for developing new specific drugs against these pathologies.