Neuropharmacology of Organoselenium Compounds in Mental Disorders and Degenerative Diseases

Neurodegenerative and mental disorders are a public health burden with pharmacological treatments of limited efficacy. Organoselenium compounds are receiving great attention in medicinal chemistry mainly because of their antioxidant and immunomodulatory activities, with a multi-target profile that can favor the treatment of multifactorial diseases. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to discuss recent preclinical studies about organoselenium compounds as therapeutic agents for the management of mental (e.g., depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia) and neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and multiple sclerosis). We have summarized around 70 peer-reviewed articles from 2016 to the present that used in silico, in vitro, and/or in vivo approaches to assess the neuropharmacology of selenium-containing compounds. Among the diversity of organoselenium molecules investigated in the last five years, diaryl diselenides, Ebselen-derivatives, and Se-containing heterocycles are the most representative. Ultimately, this review is expected to provide disease-oriented information regarding the neuropharmacology of organoselenium compounds that can be useful for the design, synthesis, and pharmacological characterization of novel bioactive molecules that can potentially be clinically viable candidates.