Study of the Alkaloid Polyneuridine as a Drug Candidate for Therapy of Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease is characterized by the progressive and irreversible loss of natural cognitive functions in most elderly people. There is currently no cure for this neurodegenerative disorder, but there are therapies available on the market based on substances that inhibit acetylcholinesterase and cognitive symptoms as a way to improve cholinergic hypofunction. Polyneuridine is the main indole alkaloid extracted from the bark and leaves of Aspidosperma polyneuron, a brazilian plant species popularly known as peroba-rosa. The objective of this work is to investigate, through a scientific prospection, the polyneuridine alkaloid, as well as its anticholinesterase property, since it is known that the therapy of this disease is based on cholinesterase inhibitors. To carry out the study, two of the main publication databases of journals such as PubMed and Web of Science were analyzed. To search for scientific production, we inserted the following keywords combined with the terms in english to carry out the search in international databases: “Polyneuridine”, “Polyneuridine AND anticholinesterase properties”, “Polyneuridine AND Alzheimer's disease”. The need for studies on this alkaloid is urgent, especially since Brazil holds the plant species that produces the most polyneuridine, but the plant species Aspidosperma polyneuron is on the red line of extinction due to the unbridled exploitation of its wood. It is concluded that if this exploration scenario continues, Brazil will lose a very important pharmacological genetic resource of its plant flora.

An update on the pathophysiology and pharmacology of Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease. Plaques and tangles are described as the characteristic features of AD, which are neurotoxic entites, deposited in the diseased patients. There are very few drugs available for the treatment of AD. Those available options are primarily the approaches to overcome cholinergic hypofunction, through the inhibition of acetylcholinestrase enzyme. Other disease modifiying candidates are strongly needed to overcome the progressive dementia in AD. These new drugs will serve as a great hope for the AD patients and families of the AD patients.