Natural Products as a Therapeutic Approach in Regulating Autophagy for the Management of Neurodegenerative Diseases

Abstract

Autophagy is a complex phenomenon that occurs constantly in cells for maintaining the well-being of individuals. However, any dysregulation in the mechanism or the proteins involved leads to detrimental effects on several diseases including cancer, diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases (NDs). Autophagy dysfunction is involved in the progression of NDs including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and Huntington’s disease (HD). With the involvement being identified, autophagy has become a prospective target in ameliorating NDs. Natural products in the form of extracts and bioactive compounds were repeatedly reported for targeting autophagy-related proteins and the mechanism making them promising drug candidates against NDs. The current chapter briefly outlines the role of autophagy in NDs and the effect of selected natural products in restoring pathological outcomes.