Neuroprotective Potential of Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester (CAPE) in CNS Disorders: Mechanistic and Therapeutic Insights

Neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), stroke, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Huntington’s disease (HD), epilepsy, traumatic brain injury (TBI), depression, and anxiety are responsible for thousands of deaths worldwide every year. With the increase in life expectancy, there has been a rise in the prevalence of these disorders. Age is one of the major risk factors for these neurological disorders, and with the aged population set to rise to 1.25 billion by 2050, there is a growing concern to look for new therapeutic molecules to treat age-related diseases. Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) is a molecule obtained from a number of botanical sources, such as the bark of conifer trees as well as propolis which is extracted from beehives. Though CAPE remains relatively unexplored in human trials, it possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimitogenic, and anti-cancer activities, as shown by preclinical studies. Apart from this, it also exhibits tremendous potential for the treatment of neurological disorders through the modulation of multiple molecular pathways and attenuation of behavioural deficits. In the present article, we have reviewed the therapeutic potential of CAPE and its mechanisms in the treatment of neurological disorders.