The protective effect of natural compounds against rotenone-induced neurotoxicity.

Rotenone is a widely used organic pesticide; its serious side effect for off-target species is neurotoxicity. The primary mechanism of rotenone toxicity is inhibition of the mitochondrial complex I. Oxidative stress, apoptosis, and reduction of autophagy are key outcomes of the inhibition of complex I. Numerous in vitro and in vivo studies have shown antioxidant, anti-apoptotic, and autophagy enhancement of a variety of natural compounds (NCs). In this manuscript, we reviewed several NCs, which have protective effects against rotenone-induced neurotoxicity.