Natural antioxidants in hybrids for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases: a successful strategy?

It is well established that oxidative stress is one of the characteristics of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease [1]. Free radicals, that is, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species, are damaging a variety of biomolecules like lipids, proteins and DNA. Such radicals are generated in the pathology of neurodegenerative diseases and eventually lead to neuronal cell death. They contribute to the overall pathophysiology and pathogenesis of these diseases, but are not their sole cause. In fact, it is unclear until now at which stage of the pathophysiological cascades oxidative stress occurs. Irrespective of the...