Parkinson’s disease is a disorder of dopaminergic fibres. The extrapyramidal system (Basal Ganglia and Substantia nigra) controls the body movement by a balance between cholinergic excitatory and dopaminergic inhibitory influences. In this disease, there is loss of dopaminergic fibres due to decrease in number of melanin containing neurons in substantia nigra. Most commonly used in vivo screening models are MPTP model in monkey, reserpine antagonism, circling behaviour in lesioned rat while the commonly used in-vitro model is culture of substantia nigra. The drugs used for the treatment of parkinson’s disease have certain limitations in their use because of their side effect such as arrhythmias, headache, migraine, sedation etc. Hence the interest in searching alternative remedies for treatment of parkinson’s disease is greatly increased. The interest in pharmacotherapy of Parkinson’s disease increases so as to reduce side effects of the present drugs. Another interesting area is the search of medicinal plants having antiparkinsonian activity as well as development of new sreening model for Parkinson's disease.
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