The Therapeutic Potential of Phyllanthus Species in Neurodegenerative Disorders: A Systematic Review

Abstract

This review identifies, collects, and summarizes the existing literature on the relationship between Phyllanthus and neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer’s disease (AD), over the past 20 years. Phyllanthus (Phyllanthaceae) contains about 800 species distributed in various habitats in both hemispheres and of broad folk traditional uses in Indian and Brazilian culture. Research has demonstrated extensive biological activities correlated with diversity in its active constituents. In this systematic review, the software “VOS Viewer” was employed to visualize existing scientific data and identify trends and studies related to Phyllanthus. The review focuses on the correlation between Phyllanthus species and neurodegenerative diseases over the past two decades. A thorough search of databases including Web of Science, Scopus, Wiley, Taylor & Francis, and PubMed resulted in 21 articles being deemed relevant for this report. Ninety-four articles were identified as potentially relevant, and twenty-one articles were included in the systematic review. P. acidus, P. amarus, P. emblica, and P. niruri were the species among the inclusion criteria with in vivo, in vitro, and computational studies performed. This review sheds light on the mechanisms through which Phyllanthus species may serve as promising candidates for treating neurodegenerative disorders, particularly emphasizing their major phytoconstituents.