Central nervous system disorders are a major public health concern worldwide due to unclear pathogenic mechanisms. Traditional medicine has used medicinal plants that have good effects on the central nervous system for central nervous system disorders. Many scientific studies have proven that medicinal plants contain many compounds that have anti-disorders and protect the brain. This practice is gaining more and more attention because it not only controls the disease but also limits the possibility of disorders. In this chapter, the authors reviewed medicinal plants and bioactive compounds against central nervous system disorders. This chapter will give a comprehensive view. Some medicinal plants such as Ginkgo biloba, Hypericum perforatum, Embelia Ribes Burm f., Centella asiatica are attracting attention and have high application value in combating central nervous system disorders. These effects are provided by the active compounds contained in the plant such as catechin, saponin, oleanolic acid. They are promising.
TopIntroduction
Central nervous system disorders are structural, biochemical, or electrical abnormalities in the brain and spinal cord that severely affect a person's daily activities. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), central nervous system illnesses affected about a billion people worldwide (Calvo & Cavero, 2015). The rise in these diseases in recent years is a result of longer life expectancies, which places a heavy weight on social economies. In developing nations, the prevalence of CNS illnesses is around twice that of developed nations (M. Uddin et al., 2020). Trauma, infections, degeneration, structural flaws, tumors, disturbed blood flow, and autoimmune diseases can all harm the CNS system. The main forms of CNS illnesses that are prevalent in the population out of over 600 neurologic disorders were identified like headaches, epilepsy and seizures, stroke, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and Parkinson’s disease.
Headaches
One of the most prevalent neurological illnesses that can afflict anyone at any age is headaches. Even though they may occur frequently, headaches and migraines are generally nothing to worry about. But if they are available suddenly and repeatedly, they may be symptoms of some CNS diseases that are turning worse. Before, it absolutely was believed that migraine was related to cerebral or meningeal vasodilation but there's no scientific proof to prove this theory (Buture et al., 2016). In addition to the meninges and meningeal vessels, the hypothalamus also appears to play a significant role in the beginning of these migraine attacks. Migraine headache is caused by the activation and sensibilization of trigeminal nociceptors (Gaul et al., 2017; Ruschel & De Jesus, 2022).
Seizure
An episode of neurological dysfunction known as a “seizure” is brought on by the excessive, asynchronous discharge of nerve cells in the brain (Stafstrom & Carmant, 2015). The term “epileptic” is used to distinguish between a seizure brought on by aberrant neuronal firing and another type of seizure, such as a psychogenic seizure. The medical term for repeated, unprovoked seizures is “epilepsy”. Numerous factors can cause epilepsy, each of which reflects underlying brain dysfunction (Shorvon, 2011). A seizure happens when the normal balance between excitement and inhibition in the brain is distorted, and the clinical manifestations depend on the region of the cortex implicated. Epilepsy is one of the most prevalent neurological disorders, with an incidence of about 50 new cases per 100,000 people per year (Stafstrom & Carmant, 2015).
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
A neurodegenerative condition with a motor component is called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Progressive muscle weakness and wasting result from the loss of lower and upper motor neurons in the motor region, the brainstem nuclei, as well as the anterior horn of the funiculus. The ailment usually begins in the limb muscles and occurs more frequently in the distal than the proximal muscles. About 25% to 30% of the time, the disease manifests as a bulbar onset, causing dysarthria, dysphonia, or, less frequently, masseter weakness (P. Masrori & P. Van Damme, 2020). Most patients experience a relentlessly progressive disease with a median survival time of about 3 years after the onset of symptoms. Respiratory failure is typically the cause of death in these cases (P. Masrori & P. Van Damme, 2020).