Resveratrol-based compounds and neurodegeneration: Recent insight in multitarget therapy

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are characterized by gradual and progressive loss of selectively
vulnerable populations of neurons, including death of neurons in different regions, leading to nervous
system dysfunction. However, pharmacological treatments are only symptomatic, because the exact
causes of the disease are not yet known. For this reason, in recent years, the research has been focused on
the discovery of new molecules able to target neuropathological pathways involved in NDs. A great deal
of attention has been paid to natural polyphenols due to their many biological effects and resveratrol has
attracted special interest since its ability to interact simultaneously with the multiple targets implicated
in NDs. Moreover, the structural simplicity of the stilbene core, the broad spectrum of possible modi-
fications, and the improved synthetic strategies, made resveratrol an attractive chemical starting point
for the search of new entities with extended therapeutic uses in NDs. In this review, a systematic update
of the resveratrol-based compounds, and Structure-Activity Relationship analysis were provided as
promising drug candidates for the treatment of NDs.