ABSTRACT
Protein aggregation plays an important role in several human diseases, notably Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Protein aggregation is a highly complex process, and resulting aggregates can significantly differ in structure, morphology, toxicity, and self-propagation ability. Small molecules can influence protein aggregation either via noncovalent binding to the target protein or by modifying it covalently. Plants contain thousands of structurally diverse bioactive secondary metabolites, and their structural diversity makes them excellent lead compounds for drug development. This chapter shows that a variety of plant-derived phytochemicals can influence both protein aggregation and progression of aggregation-related diseases, making them attractive drug candidates for these diseases.
