Vegetos
(An International Journal of Plant Research & Biotechnology)
(eISSN: 2229-4473)
Medicinal plants and their bioactive phytochemicals in neuroprotection: modulating oxidative stress and regulated cell death
Editorial | Published: 25 September, 2026
First Page: 1647
Last Page: 1650
Views: 19
Keywords: Medicinal plants, Bioactive phytochemicals, Neuroprotection, Oxidative stress, Regulated cell death
Abstract
Neurodegenerative disorders are increasingly recognised as conditions in which oxidative stress and dysregulated cell-death pathways contribute to neuronal injury and loss. Medicinal plants and their bioactive phytochemicals have long been investigated as sources of neuroprotective agents, yet much of the evidence remains anchored in descriptive antioxidant screening rather than mechanistic validation. This editorial argues that the field should move beyond “antioxidant activity” towards a framework in which plant-derived compounds are evaluated for their ability to modulate redox-sensitive signalling, mitochondrial function, neuroinflammation, and regulated cell-death processes such as apoptosis and ferroptosis. We highlight major classes of neuroprotective phytochemicals, discuss key mechanistic pathways, and outline research priorities for transforming medicinal-plant discovery into mechanism-based neuroprotective drug development.
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Author Information
The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, San Diego, USA