Efficacy of plant extracts against Friedreich’s ataxia

Magisetty Obulesu, Plant Extracts in Neurodegenerative Diseases, Academic Press, Chapter 4, Pages 47-60, 2022, doi:10.1016/B978-0-323-95762-5.00006-0.

Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) is a rare neurodegenerative disease (ND). Its prevalence is usually found in those of Indo-European and Afro-Asiatic origin. Frataxin (FXN), a low-molecular-weight protein of 23kDa found in mitochondria, plays a pivotal role in the etiopathogenesis of FA. Therefore, a wide array of therapeutics has been targeted at FXN. This chapter throws light on multifarious therapeutics employed to combat FA in cell and animal models and human subjects. A few possible mechanistic roles of plant-based compounds and dietary ingredients have been discussed. It also emphasizes the pitfalls in current therapeutics that need more attention.