ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The field of medicine and synthetic drug development have advanced rapidly over the past few decades. However, research on alternative medicine such as phytochemicals cannot be ignored. The main reason for prominent curiosity about phytochemicals stems from the belief that usage of natural compounds is safer and has lesser detrimental side effects. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present review was to discuss in detail with several phytochemicals that have been studied or are being studied in the context of various neurological disorders including depression, Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease and even neuroinflammatory disorders such as encephalitis. METHODS: The potential role of phytochemicals in the treatment or management of symptoms associated with neurological disorders have been included in this article. All data included in this paper has been pooled from various databases including Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Springer and Wiley Online Library. RESULTS: Phytochemicals have been widely studied for their therapeutic properties associated with neurological disorders. Using various experimental techniques for both in vivo and in vitro experiments, studies have shown that phytochemicals do have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective activities which play major roles in the treatment of neurological diseases. CONCLUSION: Even though there has been compelling evidence of the therapeutic role of phytochemicals, further research is still required to evaluate the safety and efficacy of these medicines. Using previously published papers as foundation for additional research such as preclinical studies and clinical trials, phytochemicals can become a safer alternative to synthetic drugs for treating a spectrum of neurological diseases.
ABSTRACT
Dental pain is a common complaint in patients undergoing endodontic treatment. Despite continuous efforts to develop new pain management strategies and improved treatment approaches, dental pain management remains a continuous challenge to clinicians. Understanding pain signalling mechanisms in the dental pulp along with the molecular targets involved in the dental pain pathway will provide a better view of how dental pain can be managed. The role of γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) in pain transduction has been well explored in various literature over the years. GABA and its receptors have been found in parts of the spinal cord and brain that are related to pain perception, thus providing compelling evidence of its role in mediating pain signalling. Based on this evidence, several studies have investigated the expression of GABA and its receptors in the dental pulp as well as its role in dental pain transmission. This review discusses GABA and its receptors in pain signalling, with emphasis on the research progress related to GABAergic signalling in the dental pain pathway.
