Neuroprotective Potential of Limonene and Limonene Containing Natural Products

Abstract

Limonene is a monoterpene confined to the family of Rutaceae, showing several biological properties such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antinociceptive and gastroprotective characteristics. Recently, there is notable interest in investigating the pharmacological effects of limonene in various chronic diseases due to its mitigating effect on oxidative stress and inflammation and regulating apoptotic cell death. There are several available studies demonstrating the neuroprotective role of limonene in neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, anxiety, and stroke. The high abundance of limonene in nature, its safety profile, and various mechanisms of action make this monoterpene a favorable molecule to be developed as a nutraceutical for preventive purposes and as an alternative agent or adjuvant to modern therapeutic drugs in curbing the onset and progression of neurodegenerative diseases. This manuscript presents a comprehensive review of the available scientific literature discussing the pharmacological activities of limonene or plant products containing limonene which attribute to the protective and therapeutic ability in neurodegenerative disorders. This review has been compiled based on the existing published articles confined to limonene or limonene-containing natural products investigated for their neurotherapeutic or neuroprotective potential. All the articles available in English or the abstract in English were extracted from different databases that offer an access to diverse journals. These databases are PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Science Direct. Collectively, this review emphasizes the neuroprotective potential of limonene against neurodegenerative and other neuroinflammatory diseases. The available data are indicative of the nutritional use of products containing limonene and the pharmacological actions and mechanisms of limonene and may direct future preclinical and clinical studies for the development of limonene as an alternative or complementary phytomedicine. The pharmacophore can also provide a blueprint for further drug discovery using numerous drug discovery tools.

Development of PVA–Psyllium Husk Meshes via Emulsion Electrospinning: Preparation, Characterization, and Antibacterial Activity

“…D-Limonene is a highly hydrophobic molecule that is almost insoluble in water [ 61 ]. In general, the contact angle decreased with the addition of D-limonene to the mesh structures due to the existence of the β-cyclodextrin substance.…”

Toxicity of Some Essential Oils Constituents against Oriental Fruit Fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae)

“…In the ingestion toxicity bioassay, (R)-(+)-limonene was the most toxic EOC, followed by (−)-β-pinene and thujone. Essential oils obtained from many plants of the family Rutaceae are good sources of limonene and other monoterpene compounds [ 54 ]. Essential oil components of limonene and pinene, though the mode of action remains primarily unknown, on the other hand, interact with the acetylcholinesterase (AchE) and octopaminergic systems (OS).…”

The improvement of Coreopsis tinctoria essential oil on learning and memory impairment of d-galactose-induced mice through Nrf2/NF-κB pathway

“…In this study, the main components of EOC detected by GC-MS were D-limonene (50.961%), α-phellandrene (5.717%), (1R)-α-pinene (5.226%) and β-myrcene (5.215%), all of which have good antioxidant effects ( Soottitantawat et al, 2004 ; Kartal et al, 2007 ; Bajpai et al, 2009 ; Lachenmeier, 2010 ). D-Limonene not only has the highest content in EOC, but also has good antioxidant effect and protective effect on neurodegenerative diseases ( Eddin et al, 2021 ). These results show that EOC contains a large number of olefins, especially D-limonene, so EOC may be a potential drug to improve learning and memory impairment.…”