Neurotoxic effects of environmental contaminants—measurements, mechanistic insight, and environmental relevance

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 29; no. 47; pp. 70808 - 70821
• Main Authors: Afsheen, Nadia, Rafique, Sadia, Rafeeq, Hamza, Irshad, Kanwal, Hussain, Asim, Huma, Zille, Kumar, Vineet, Bilal, Muhammad, Aleya, Lotfi, Iqbal, Hafiz M. N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01-10-2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agricultural research; Agriculture; Agrochemicals; Air pollution; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Bioactive compounds; Biochemistry; Biological activity; Brain research; Central nervous system; Clinical trials; Cognitive ability; Contaminants; Disease; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental effects; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Factories; Heavy metals; Herbal medicine; Immune response; Innate immunity; Laboratories; Lipophilic; Male employees; Medicinal plants; Nanoparticles; Nervous system; Neurological diseases; Neurological disorders; Neuroprotection; Neurotoxicity; Oxidative stress; Particulate matter; Pesticides; Pollutants; Review Article; Science; Toxicants; Ultrafines; Vehicle emissions; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Oxidative stress; Multiple sclerosis; Environmental contaminants; Air pollutants; Bioactive compounds; Neurological disorders; Heavy metals
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-22779-2

Pollution is a significant and growing concern for any population regardless of age because these environmental contaminants exhibit different neurodegenerative effects on persons of different ages. These environmental contaminants are the products of human welfare projects like industry, automobile exhaust, clinical and research laboratory extrudes, and agricultural chemicals. These contaminants are found in various forms in environmental matrices like nanoparticles, particulate matter, lipophilic vaporized toxicants, and ultrafine particulate matter. Because of their small size, they can easily cross blood–brain barriers or use different cellular mechanisms for assistance. Other than this, these contaminants cause an innate immune response in different cells of the central nervous system and cause neurotoxicity. Considering the above critiques and current needs, this review summarizes different protective strategies based on bioactive compounds present in plants. Various bioactive compounds from medicinal plants with neuroprotective capacities are discussed with relevant examples. Many in vitro studies on clinical trials have shown promising outcomes using plant-based bioactive compounds against neurological disorders.