Review of Mucuna pruriens L. therapeutic potential for Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease is a multifactorial disorder of the nervous system, the main features of which are progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the nigra pars compacta nigrostriatal tract and subsequent deficiency of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the areas of the brain, leading to the loss of motor function, the emergence of non-motor symptoms, rigidity, akinesia or bradykinesia, motor block, and decline in cognitive functions. Parkinson’s disease has high prevalence throughout the world, and has no curative treatment in modern medicine. The available drugs such as anticholinergics, levodopa and a DOPA-decarboxylase inhibitor provide symptomatic relief only. Although dopaminergic therapy is the standard treatment of motor disabilities associated with Parkinson’s disease, it does not managed all the aspects of the disease. For this reason, the increasing numbers of patients are looking for more holistic approach to the treatment of this disease. Mucuna pruriens L. – an annual self-pollinating legume plant, can be considered as a potential complementary therapy for patients with Parkinson’s disease, as it is an extremely rich source of levodopa. Numerous studies have shown that Mucuna pruriens extracts restore biochemical and behavioral abnormalities in animals with the experimental model of Parkinson’s disease. The plant also demonstrates some antioxidant activity. The clinical effects of high-dose Mucuna pruriens are similar to levodopa, but have a more favorable tolerance profile. If long-term use of Mucuna pruriens proves safe and effective in controlled clinical trials, it could become a sustainable complementary therapy for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, especially in low-income countries.

Download Full-text

Could Mucuna pruriens be the answer to Parkinson's disease management in sub-Saharan Africa and other low-income countries worldwide?

Parkinsonism & Related Disorders ◽

10.1016/j.parkreldis.2020.03.002 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 73 ◽

pp. 3-7 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Natasha Fothergill-Misbah ◽

Harshvadan Maroo ◽

Momodou Cham ◽

Gianni Pezzoli ◽

Richard Walker ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

Disease Management ◽

Low Income ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Low Income Countries ◽

Mucuna Pruriens ◽

Sub Saharan

Download Full-text

Simple and low-cost mucuna pruriens preparation for Parkinson’s disease patients in low-income countries

Journal of the Neurological Sciences ◽

10.1016/j.jns.2015.08.915 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 357 ◽

pp. e259 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

E. Cassani ◽

M. Barichella ◽

R. Cilia ◽

J. Laguna ◽

F. Sparvoli ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

Low Income ◽

Low Cost ◽

Low Income Countries ◽

Mucuna Pruriens

Download Full-text

Levels of functional disability in elderly people in Tanzania with dementia, stroke and Parkinson’s disease

Acta Neuropsychiatrica ◽

10.1017/neu.2015.9 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 27 (4) ◽

pp. 206-212 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Aloyce Kisoli ◽

William K. Gray ◽

Catherine L. Dotchin ◽

Golda Orega ◽

Felicity Dewhurst ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

Low Income ◽

Functional Disability ◽

Population Level ◽

Severe Disability ◽

Low Income Countries ◽

Community Based ◽

Demographic Ageing ◽

People With Dementia

BackgroundDisability is associated with increasing age and poverty, yet there are few reliable data regarding disability amongst the elderly in low-income countries. The aim of this study was to compare disability levels for three of the most common neurological, non-communicable diseases: dementia, stroke and Parkinson’s disease (PD).MethodsWe performed a community-based study of people aged 70 years and over in 12 randomly selected villages in the rural Hai district of Tanzania. Participants underwent disability assessment using the Barthel Index, and clinical assessment for dementia, stroke and PD.ResultsIn a representative cohort of 2232 people aged 70 years and over, there were 54 cases of stroke, 12 cases of PD and estimated (by extrapolation from a sub-sample of 1198 people) to be 112 cases of dementia. People with stroke were the most disabled, with 62.9% having moderate or severe disability. Levels of moderate or severe disability were 41.2% in people with dementia and 50.0% in people with PD. However, the higher prevalence of dementia meant that, at a population level, it was associated with similar levels of disability as stroke, with 18.5% of 249 people identified as having moderate or severe disability having dementia, compared to 13.7% for stroke and 2.4% for PD.ConclusionsLevels of disability from these conditions is high and is likely to increase with demographic ageing. Innovative, community-based strategies to reduce disability levels should be investigated.

Download Full-text

Low-dose anticholinergic therapy causes cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease patients

The Moldovan Medical Journal ◽

10.52418/moldovan-med-j.64-4.21.12 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 64 (4) ◽

pp. 66-68

Author(s):

Olga Gavriliuc ◽

◽

Alexandru Andrusca ◽

Lilian Popil ◽

Mihail Gavriliuc ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

Cognitive Performance ◽

Low Income ◽

Low Dose ◽

Disease Duration ◽

Cognitive Status ◽

Low Income Countries ◽

Anticholinergic Drugs ◽

Average Dose

Background: Before L-Dopa’s discovery, anticholinergic drugs were among the first treatments for Parkinson’s disease. Only now trihexyphenidyl (THP) is approved to treat unresponsive L-dopa tremors in young, cognitively unaffected Parkinson’s disease patients. However, there are no specific recommendations for disease duration, medication dose, or cognitive status. In low-income countries, THP is still frequently used in Parkinson’s disease patients with tremor. The objective of the current study was to evaluate cognitive performance in Parkinson’s disease patients receiving a low dose of THP. Material and methods: The study was performed on nineteen PD patients, nine of whom were on THP. All patients completed MoCA cognitive assessment. The patients were matched depending on their age, disease severity based on UPDRS III and duration of the disease. Results: The THP patients were taking an average dose of 3.3 mg of THP daily for an average of 1.8 years. There were no statistical differences between THP patients and non-THP patients in age (64.8± 4.8 vs 67.2±6.9, p=0.4), UPDRS III (32.1±8.9 vs 41.5±20.6, p=0.2) and disease duration (6.2±4.9 vs 7.0 ± 4.0, p=0.7). The THP patients had lower cognitive performance, with a total MoCA of 19.22 ± 3.3 vs. non-THP patients 24.2±3.0, p=0.003. Conclusions: In Parkinson’s disease patients, even a low dose of THP causes significant cognitive loss.

Download Full-text

Neuroprotective Effects of Jitai Tablet, a Traditional Chinese Medicine, on the MPTP-Induced Acute Model of Parkinson’s Disease: Involvement of the Dopamine System

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine ◽

10.1155/2014/542383 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2014 ◽

pp. 1-9 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Jia Liu ◽

Jinlong Gao ◽

Shaoang Tu ◽

Shasha Xu ◽

Ying Liu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

Chinese Medicine ◽

Traditional Chinese Medicine ◽

Therapeutic Potential ◽

Neuroprotective Effect ◽

High Dose ◽

Neuroprotective Effects ◽

Metabolism Rate ◽

Behavioral Impairments

Jitai tablet (JTT) is a traditional Chinese medicine used to treat neuropsychiatric disorders. We previously demonstrated that JTT treatment led to increased level of dopamine transporter (DAT) in the striatum, thus indicating that JTT might have therapeutic potential for Parkinson’s disease (PD), which is characterized by dysregulated dopamine (DA) transmission and decreased striatal DAT expression. The aim of this study was to investigate the neuroprotective effect of JTT on MPTP-induced PD mice. Using locomotor activity test and rotarod test, we evaluated the effects of JTT (0.50, 0.15, or 0.05 g/kg) on MPTP-induced behavioral impairments. Tyrosine hydroxylase TH-positive neurons in the substantia nigra and DAT and dopamine D2receptor (D2R) levels in the striatum were detected by immunohistochemical staining and/or autoradiography. Levels of DA and its metabolites were determined by HPLC. In MPTP-treated mice, behavioral impairments were alleviated by JTT treatment. Moreover, JTT protected against impairment of TH-positive neurons and attenuated the MPTP-induced decreases in DAT and D2R. Finally, high dose of JTT (0.50 g/kg) inhibited the MPTP-induced increase in DA metabolism rate. Taken together, results from our present study provide evidence that JTT offers neuroprotective effects against the neurotoxicity of MPTP and thus might be a potential treatment for PD.

Download Full-text

Therapeutic Potential of Magnetic Nanoparticle-Based Human Adipose-Derived Stem Cells in a Mouse Model of Parkinson’s Disease

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms22020654 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (2) ◽

pp. 654

Author(s):

Ka Young Kim ◽

Keun-A Chang

Keyword(s):

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Stem Cells ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

Magnetic Nanoparticles ◽

Substantia Nigra ◽

Mouse Model ◽

Magnetic Nanoparticle ◽

Imaging System ◽

Therapeutic Potential ◽

Adipose Derived Stem Cells

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. Several treatments for PD have focused on the management of physical symptoms using dopaminergic agents. However, these treatments induce various adverse effects, including hallucinations and cognitive impairment, owing to non-targeted brain delivery, while alleviating motor symptoms. Furthermore, these therapies are not considered ultimate cures owing to limited brain self-repair and regeneration abilities. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the therapeutic potential of human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs) using magnetic nanoparticles in a 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced PD mouse model. We used the Maestro imaging system and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for in vivo tracking after transplantation of magnetic nanoparticle-loaded hASCs to the PD mouse model. The Maestro imaging system revealed strong hASCs signals in the brains of PD model mice. In particular, MRI revealed hASCs distribution in the substantia nigra of hASCs-injected PD mice. Behavioral evaluations, including apomorphine-induced rotation and rotarod performance, were significantly recovered in hASCs-injected 6-OHDA induced PD mice when compared with saline-treated counterparts. Herein, we investigated whether hASCs transplantation using magnetic nanoparticles recovered motor functions through targeted brain distribution in a 6-OHDA induced PD mice. These results indicate that magnetic nanoparticle-based hASCs transplantation could be a potential therapeutic strategy in PD.

Download Full-text

Mucuna pruriens for Parkinson's disease: Low-cost preparation method, laboratory measures and pharmacokinetics profile

Journal of the Neurological Sciences ◽

10.1016/j.jns.2016.04.001 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 365 ◽

pp. 175-180 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Erica Cassani ◽

Roberto Cilia ◽

Janeth Laguna ◽

Michela Barichella ◽

Manuela Contin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

Preparation Method ◽

Low Cost ◽

Mucuna Pruriens ◽

Laboratory Measures

Download Full-text

Therapeutic Potential of α-Synuclein Evolvability for Autosomal Recessive Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson s Disease ◽

10.1155/2021/6318067 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2021 ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Jianshe Wei ◽

Gilbert Ho ◽

Yoshiki Takamatsu ◽

Eliezer Masliah ◽

Makoto Hashimoto

Keyword(s):

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

Autosomal Recessive ◽

Autosomal Dominant ◽

Therapeutic Potential ◽

Gene Mutations ◽

Mitochondrial Alteration ◽

Rational Therapy ◽

Ubiquitin Proteasome ◽

Dominant Genes

The majority of Parkinson’s disease (PD) is sporadic in elderly and is characterized by α-synuclein (αS) aggregation and other alterations involving mitochondria, ubiquitin-proteasome, and autophagy. The remaining are familial PD associated with gene mutations of either autosomal dominant or recessive inheritances. However, the former ones are similar to sporadic PD, and the latter ones are accompanied by impaired mitophagy during the reproductive stage. Since no radical therapies are available for PD, the objective of this paper is to discuss a mechanistic role for amyloidogenic evolvability, a putative physiological function of αS, among PD subtypes, and the potential relevance to therapy. Presumably, αS evolvability might benefit familial PD due to autosomal dominant genes and also sporadic PD during reproduction, which may manifest as neurodegenerative diseases through antagonistic pleiotropy mechanism in aging. Indeed, there are some reports describing that αS prevents apoptosis and mitochondrial alteration under the oxidative stress conditions, notwithstanding myriads of papers on the neuropathology of αS. Importantly, β-synuclein (βS), the nonamyloidogenic homologue of αS, might buffer against evolvability of αS protofibrils associated with neurotoxicity. Finally, it is intriguing to predict that increased αS evolvability through suppression of βS expression might protect against autosomal recessive PD. Collectively, further studies are warranted to better understand αS evolvability in PD pathogenesis, leading to rational therapy development.

Download Full-text