Research Specifications

Parkinson disease (PD), a chronic progressive neuro-degenerative disorder predominantly affecting elderlypeople, is mainly characterized by resting tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, postural instability and gait disorder [1]. The presence of Lewy bodies (LB) and Lewy neurites (LN), proteinaceous inclusions whose main constituent is fibrillary-aggregated α-synuclein, is a defining neuropathological alteration observed in the brain of affected patients [2]. Recently, novel therapies involving natural antioxidants and plant-derived molecules like curcumin with neuroprotective properties are being exploited for adjunctive therapy. Curcumin exhibits antioxi- dant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties, crosses the blood-brain barrier and is neuroprotective in neurological disorders [3]. We examined the ability of curcumin to probable prevention of protein aggregation leading to PD by molecular dynamics simulation (MD). The results of the simulation studies were presented as structural data like hydrogen bonding, interacting residues and various distribution functions as well as energetics of the considered system. The interaction energies, and the contribution of lennard-Jones and electrostatic interactions in intarction energy have been also analysed. Collectively; our results suggest that curcumin and probably polyphenolic compounds derived from curcumine can be pursued as potential therapeutic agents for prevention and treatment of PD and similar neurological diseases.