Medicinal Plants for the Management of Neurodegenerative Diseases

Ageing is the main reason for most neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). About 10% of individuals aged =65 years develop AD, which continuously increases with growing age. Medicinal plants have been used for age-related neurodegenerative disorders for a long time. These plants are rich in terms of various phytochemical constituents such as flavonoids, sterols, alkaloids, saponins, and terpenoids. Different scientific studies have been carried out on these medicinal herbs, e.g., anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuro-regenerative activities that may be used in the treatment of AD and other age-related diseases. These medicinal plants, e.g., Curcuma longa, Bacopa monniera, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Commiphora whighitti, and Acorus calamus L., have anti-inflammatory properties that may decrease swelling of the brain tissue in AD.

Despite this, there is currently no book available in the market that provides full information on the phytochemical and medicinal uses of the medicinal plants exclusively used for the management of neurodegenerative diseases in the elderly. This book aims to provide some important and evidence-based information on the plants used for neurodegenerative diseases in the elderly, especially AD and PD, in a planned manner so the academicians, researchers, and students working in the fields of medicinal plants, plant science, chemistry, biotechnology, pharmacognosy, pharmaceuticals, biochemistry, and many other interdisciplinary subjects may benefit. This book will also be useful in identifying a few medicinal plants and their prospects for the synthesis or preparation of new drugs for neurodegenerative diseases.

Features:

• An overview of the medicinal plants that can be helpful for neurodegenerative disorders
• Recent research results and some pointers for the management of neurodegenerative diseases

This book serve as comprehensive information about the description, phytochemistry, actions, and medicinal use of plants that are used in neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, this book will also ease the understanding and interaction of medicinal plants used in neurodegenerative diseases.

Dr. Jamal Akhtar has done Bachelor of Unani medicine and Surgery (BUMS) and Doctor of Medicine (MD) in Unani Medicine from Jamia Hamdard. He has also done Post Graduate Diploma in Health and Family Welfare Management, National Institute of Health and Family Welfare, New Delhi, New Delhi. He is serving as Research Officer, Scientist-III in Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine, Ministry of Ayush, Government of India. Earlier, he has worked as Lecturer in Dr. M. I. J. Tibbiya College and Haji A. R. Kalsekar Hospital, Mumbai. He has about 20 years of teaching and research experience in the field of Unani Medicine. He has received Young Scientist Award-2018 from Ministry of Ayush, Government of India for outstanding contributions in the field of clinical research. He is also the recipient of University Gold Medal from Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi for standing first from BUMS first to Final Year. As a member of delegation of Government of India, he has participated in “The India Show” at Colombo, Sri Lanka during 3-5 August, 2012 and “The India Medical Tourism destination” at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 20-21 February, 2017. He has published 112 Research papers in National /International Journals and 20 Articles. Besides the publication of one book as a main author, he is the member of the editorial team in 23 books/technical reports/Monographs published by the Council. Besides the 10 Invited Talk/ Lectures, he has also presented papers in more than 45 conferences and attended more than 80 Workshop / training program. He has been involved in Monitoring and implementation of Clinical Research Programme of the Council through a network of 18 peripheral clinical institutes. Under the programme, about protocol of 20 new studies (Either new drug designing or validation of Pharmacopoeial drugs) has been finalized in consultation with the experts and implemented thought peripheral institutes. He has been designated Nodal person for financial assistance of the collaborative Projects received under Expression of Interest Scheme from different scientific/academic organizations. He was working as Nodal Officer in a collaborative project between Directorate General of Health Services and CCRUM namely Integration of Unani Medicine in National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular diseases & Stroke (NPCDCS), at selected District Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh; and got appreciation letter from DGHS for successfully implementation of the programme, where about 5.5 lakh individuals were benefitted. Also worked as Nodal Officer, Swasthya Rakshan / Parikshan Programme of the Council, which was implemented through 12 Institutes/centres of the Council. He was the Chairman/Member for different Selection Committees for the Post of Research Associates/Senior Research Fellow at different institutes. He is the member of different committees and member of editorial board of different journals.

Dr. Maryam Sarwat is an Indian Citizen, working as an Associate Professor in the Amity Institute of Pharmacy, Amity University, Noida. She has obtained her Ph. D. in 2007 and completed postdoctoral research at ICGEB, New Delhi. She has received several research grants from various R & D agencies such as DST, DBT, CCRUM and SERB in India. She has been sponsored by various funding agencies in India (CSIR, INSA, DBT, SERB) and abroad (Society of Experimental Biology, UK and United Scientific Group, USA) for presenting her research findings in scientific conferences at Germany, Czech Republic and France etc. Dr. Sarwat has mentored six PhD and fifteen Masters’ students. She has more than 55 international publications in reputed journals and three patents to her credit. She is the recipient of the prestigious “Scientist of the Year Award” in 2015. Dr. Sarwat has published two volumes of “Stress Signaling in Plants, Genomics and Proteomics Perspective” with Springer Nature in 2013 and 2017. She has also authored three books with Elsevier entitled ‘Senescence Signaling and Control in Plants’ in 2018, ‘Saffron: The Age-Old Panacea in a New Light’ in the early 2020 and ‘Herbal Medicines: A Boon for Healthy Human Life’ in 2022. She has also published the title ‘Environment and Human Health’ through King Abdul Aziz University Press in 2020. Her two volumes on ‘Ethnic Knowledge on Biodiversity, Nutrition and Health Security’ are due for publication by Taylor and Francis in 2023. She is on the board of reviewers of various international journals from Springer Nature, Frontiers, Elsevier, Wiley, PLOS and Taylor and Francis etc.

Dr. Fouzia Bashir has done her Bachelor in Unani Medicine (BUMS) and MD in Tahaffuzi wa Samaji Tib (Preventive and Social Medicine) from Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi. She has worked as senior research fellow in a Project of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare at New Delhi. Now, she is working as Research Associate, Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine, Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India since 2018 and posted at Headquarters, New Delhi. She has published more than 45 research papers, review articles and book chapters, in various peer reviewed scientific journals. She has also presented papers in many conferences and attended more than 30 Workshop / training programs.