Microneedles: A versatile drug delivery carrier for phytobioactive compounds as a therapeutic modulator for targeting mitochondrial dysfunction in the management of neurodegenerative diseases.

Neurodegenerative disease (ND) is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide, with limited symptomatic therapies. Mitochondrial dysfunction is a major risk factor in the progression of ND and increases the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Overexposure to these ROS induces apoptotic changes leading to neuronal cell death. Many studies have shown the prominent effect of phytobioactive compounds in managing mitochondrial dysfunctions associated with ND, mainly due to their antioxidant properties. Drug delivery to the brain is limited due to the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), but effective drug concentration needs to reach the brain for the therapeutic action. Therefore, developing safe and effective strategies to enhance drug entry in the brain is required to establish ND's treatment. The microneedle-based drug delivery system is one of the effective non-invasive techniques for drug delivery through the transdermal route. Microneedles are micron-sized drug delivery needles that are self-administrable. They can penetrate through the stratum corneum skin layer without hitting pain receptors, allowing the phytobioactive compounds to be released directly into systemic circulation in a controlled manner. With all of the principles mentioned above, this review discusses microneedles as a versatile drug delivery carrier for phytobioactive compounds as a therapeutic potentiating agent for targeting mitochondrial dysfunction for the management of ND.

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