Natural Triterpenoids and their Derivatives with Pharmacological Activity Against Neurodegenerative Disorders

Terpenoids and especially triterpenoids are the largest and the most diverse group of naturally occurring organic compounds. Its diversity plays very important role in new chemical entities activity screening against different disorders. Some of these compounds and their semi-synthetic derivatives can be identified as potential therapeutics against neurodegenerative diseases and were widely studied in the last few years. Celastrol, oleanolic acid, ursolic acid, asiatic acid, erythrodiol, and some triterpenoid saponins have the ability to protect the brain against neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory processes. This review article is focused on triterpenoids as possible drugs to treat or slow the progression of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease (PD), Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), Huntington’s disease (HD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and multiple sclerosis (MS).