Monoamine oxidases are the crucial drug targets for the treatment of neurodegenerative
disorders like depression, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. The enzymes catalyze the
oxidative deamination of several monoamine containing neurotransmitters, i.e. serotonin (5-HT),
melatonin, epinephrine, norepinephrine, phenylethylamine, benzylamine, dopamine, tyramine, etc.
The oxidative reaction of monoamine oxidases results in the production of hydrogen peroxide that
leads to the neurodegeneration process. Therefore, the inhibition of monoamine oxidases has
shown a profound effect against neurodegenerative diseases. At present, the design and development
of newer lead molecules for the inhibition of monoamine oxidases are under intensive research in the
field of medicinal chemistry. Recently, the advancement in QSAR methodologies has shown
considerable interest in the development of monoamine oxidase inhibitors. The present review
describes the development of QSAR methodologies, and their role in the design of newer
monoamine oxidase inhibitors. It will assist the medicinal chemist in the identification of selective
and potent monoamine oxidase inhibitors from various chemical scaffolds.