Utilization Of Curcuma Longa In Treating Drug Induced Parkinson’і Disease
The Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of the common neurodegenerative disorders which can also be induced by administration of antipsychotic drugs while treating positive symptoms of schizophrenia. The motor disorders like dyskinesia, rigidity and tremors can also result from chronic administration of neuroleptic drugs.
The neuroleptic drug induced neurological disorders may not be improved by the supplement of dopamine due to chronic blockade of dopamine D2 receptors by the neuroleptic drugs like phenothiazine compounds. The hypothesis of dopamine receptor supersensitivity proposes that antipsychotic drug treatment causes hypersensitization of dopamine D2 receptors.
There is no single laboratory model to evaluate parkinsonism and in which a proper evaluation of antiparkinsonian activity can be carried out. However, there is a positive correlation between catatonia in the laboratory animals and the extrapyramidal symptoms produced by neuroleptics in humans. 4 Hence, Morpurgo described a direct method to screen the drugs affecting dopamine receptors. He induced catatonia which is a state of neurogenic motor immobility and behavioural abnormality manifestations with stupor. The occurrence and irreversibility of this neurological disorder with motor immobility in neuroleptic drug induced parkinsonism has been considered as a major clinical issue in the treatment of schizophrenic patients. The search for new drugs is needed to avoid such side effects while treating schizophrenia.
Natural products have received considerable attention by the researchers who work on reverse pharmacology. In our country the traditional medicine, the parts of a plant such as: leaves, stems, roots, flowers, fruits and seeds were used as alternative and complementary therapy. Some derived components from herbs such as resveratrol, curcumin, ginsenoside, polyphenols, triptolide, etc. have neuroprotective effects. Herbal products are known to contain complex active components or phytochemicals like flavonoids, alkaloids and isoprenoids. Therefore, it is frequently difficult to determine which component(s) of the herb(s) has more biological activity.
The spice turmeric, which is one of the common commodities used in cooking by Indians derived from the root of the plant Curcuma longa has long been described as a treatment for several diseases in Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years. Curcuma longa (CL) belongs to the family Zingiberaceae and is cultivated in the countries of Southeast Asia. The active constituents of turmeric are the flavonoid Curcumin (diferuloylmethane) and various volatile oils, including tumerone, atlantone, and zingiberone. Other constituents include sugars, proteins, and resins. The best-researched active constituent is curcumin, which comprises 0. 3-5. 4% of raw turmeric.
Bioactive derivatives of plants such as flavonoids, stilbenoids and alkaloids possess potent anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties that improve the mitochondrial function and serve as cognitive enhancers. The aqueous extract of Curcuma longa being a herbal product has flavonoid as a bioactive derivative and it also has the tendency of passing through blood brain barrier (BBB), which may prove effective in treating drug induced PD and related neuropsychiatry disorders.
