Title:A Review on the Natural Components Applied as Lead Compounds
for Potential Multi-target Anti-AD Theranostic Agents
Volume: 30
Issue: 40
Author(s): Xiaodi Kou, Xuli Shi, Zi Pang, Aihong Yang*, Rui Shen*Lihua Zhao*
Affiliation:
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617,
China
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617,
China
- Tianjin Renai College, Tianjin 301636, China
Keywords:
Alzheimer's disease, theranostic agent, fluorescent probe, natural compounds, flavonoids, coumarin, curcumin, structure-activity relationship.
Abstract: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that seriously affects
the health and quality of life of the elderly. Its pathogenesis is very complex and there is
still a lack of effective clinical drugs to treat or control the development of AD. Studies
have shown that β-amyloid (Aβ) deposition, tau protein hyperphosphorylation, reduced
levels of brain cholinergic transmitters, and oxidative stress are the main causes of AD.
Furthermore, recent studies showed that metal dyshomeostasis could relate to all the
above pathogenesis of AD and was a key factor in the development of AD. Natural compounds
and their derivatives have multi-target therapeutic effects on AD, and they also
have the advantages of low toxicity, and low cost, which are important directions for anti-
AD drugs. Meanwhile, early detection may play an important role in preventing the development
of AD. The concept of “theranostic agent” combining molecular imaging
probes and therapeutic drugs has emerged in recent years. Fluorescence imaging has
been widely studied and applied because of its non-invasive, high resolution, high sensitivity,
rapid imaging, and low cost. However, at present, most of the research methods in
this field use individual therapeutic or diagnostic reagents, which is not conducive to exploring
the optimal treatment time window and drug efficacy. Therefore, this work reviewed
the natural compounds and their derivatives which all have been studied for both
the in vitro and in vivo therapeutic and diagnostic anti-AD activities. At last, structure
and activity relationship (SAR) was discussed and potential AD theranostic natural
agents were put forwarded to provide a more detailed theoretical basis for the further development
of drugs with diagnostic and therapeutic effects in AD.
