Neuroprotection with the Functional Herbs from the Lamiaceae Family

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The growth of the average lifespan of the global population is accompanied by a progressive increase in the prevalence of neurodegenerative disease (NDD). Common NDDs such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's diseases, and others are known to be strongly related to aging. The prevalence of NDD is expected to increase steeply with the increment in life expectancy. The currently available therapeutic interventions are mainly symptomatic, and most have failed to reverse or slow down the disease progression. Hence, new treatments and preventive measures are urgently needed. Plants from the Lamiaceae family have reported several neuroprotective effects attributed to the abundance of secondary metabolites that could target multiple pathways of the cellular death mechanism. Owing to the multifactorial nature of NDDs, the abundance of secondary metabolites in plants has attracted the attention of researchersto the neuroprotective potentials of natural products. The neuroprotective effects and bioactive constituents of common herbs such as Perilla frutescens (Perilla), Sideritis scardica (Ironwort), Ocimum sanctum (Holy basil), Origanum syriacum (Lebanese oregano), Satureja bachtiarica (Bakhtiari savory), Orthosiphon stamineus (Cat whisker), Prunella vulgaris (Prunella), Pogostemon cablin (Patchouli) and Stachys sieboldii (Japanese artichoke) from the Lamiaceae family are discussed in this chapter. The neuroprotective property of these herbs relied on their ability to target the underlying mechanisms of neuronal cell death, such as aberrant protein aggregation, excessive oxidative stress, neurotransmission system dysfunction, neuroinflammation, and others. The multi-targeting ability of these plants is attributed to their complex chemical compositions with different bioactive compounds. Thus, the incorporation of these plants and herbs into the management of NDD should be further explored. Their role as dietary supplements to preserve the function of the nervous system is also strongly advocate.