Therapeutic Insights into α-Lipoic Acid and Thymoquinone for Neurodegenerative Diseases

Exposure to toxicants like pesticides, heavy metals, aerosols, dyes, mutagens like UV rays is inevitable and produces a series of health hazards including neurodegeneration. There are limited or almost no treatments available currently to cure neuropathological conditions, such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and others. Although there may be an increasing range of therapeutic and supportive options that could be helpful yet early diagnosis is essential for treatment planning. If, supportive therapy measures are implemented prior to the onset of a disease, they are recognized as preventive methods. Current review is an attempt to designate the neuroprotective potential of some plant-based phytochemicals such as α-lipoic acid (α-LA) and thymoquinone present in edibles which have least probability of showing any of the side effects in target as well as other tissues so could be used as supportive therapeutics in neurodegenerative diseases. α-LA and thymoquinone both have anti-inflammatory, anti-tumoral, anti-microbial, anti-histaminic and immuno-modulatory effects. Study of current review will provide a research gap to investigators to pursue research against neurological disorders via use of plant-based phytochemicals such as α-LA and thymoquinone. Key words: Alzheimer’s disease; Parkinson’s diseases; α-Lipoic Acid; Thymoquinone; Neurodegeneration; Phytochemicals