Neurodegenerative disorders are considered major global health problems
associated with nervous system dysfunction, progressive neuronal cell loss with aging,
and several pathological and sporadic factors. Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s
disease, Prion disease, Huntington’s disease, and multiple sclerosis are the main
neurodegenerative diseases that raise significant concern among health scientists. The
etiology of different neurodegenerative diseases is different, and they majorly affect the
nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system.
Neurodegenerative diseases are linked with motor dysfunction, anxiety, memory loss,
depression, cognitive impairments, etc. These diseases can be hereditary or caused by
toxicity, metabolic disorders, or pathological changes in the brain. Therefore, interest
has been growing in the development of different neuroprotective agents of natural
origin that could work effectively against these diseases. In that aspect, phytochemicals
have shown high potential with minimal side effects in various in vitro and in vivo
studies. Cinnamic acids with phenylpropenoic moiety are abundant in many natural
resources. These are available in many forms, such as ferulic acid, caffeic acid, etc.
They also have a variety of pharmacological properties, including anti-inflammatory,
anti-oxidant, anti-amyloid, and neuroprotective properties. This chapter summarizes the
role of naturally occurring cinnamic acids and their derivatives to develop the
mechanistic aspects of neuroprotective therapeutics in neurodegenerative diseases.
Future challenges are also discussed to provide beneficial information and therapeutic
strategies.
Keywords: Alzheimer's disease, Cinnamic acid, Huntington disease, Neuroprotection, Parkinson's disease.