ABSTRACT
Over the past decades, herbal medicine has become a topic of global importance, making an impact on both world health and international trade. Medicinal plants continue to play a central role in the healthcare system of a large proportion of the world's population. Nootropics is a term used by proponents of smart drugs to describe medical drugs and nutritional supplements that have a positive effect on brain function; "nootropic" is derived from Greek and means acting on the mind. Herbal products contain complicated mixtures of organic chemicals, which may include fatty acids, sterols, alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, saponins, tannins, terpenes, and so forth. Epidemiological studies of human populations and experiments in animal models of neurodegenerative disorders have provided evidence that phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables can protect the nervous system against disease. Noncytotoxic natural products possess pleiotropic properties and represent a possible therapeutic approach for cancers, including brain cancer.
