Protective Mechanisms of Flavonoids in Parkinson's Disease

Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2015:2015:314560. doi: 10.1155/2015/314560. Epub 2015 Oct 20.

Abstract

Parkinson's disease is a chronic, debilitating neurodegenerative movement disorder characterized by progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta region in human midbrain. To date, oxidative stress is the well accepted concept in the etiology and progression of Parkinson's disease. Hence, the therapeutic agent is targeted against suppressing and alleviating the oxidative stress-induced cellular damage. Within the past decades, an explosion of research discoveries has reported on the protective mechanisms of flavonoids, which are plant-based polyphenols, in the treatment of neurodegenerative disease using both in vitro and in vivo models. In this paper, we have reviewed the literature on the neuroprotective mechanisms of flavonoids in protecting the dopaminergic neurons hence reducing the symptoms of this movement disorder. The mechanism reviewed includes effect of flavonoids in activation of endogenous antioxidant enzymes, suppressing the lipid peroxidation, inhibition of inflammatory mediators, flavonoids as a mitochondrial target therapy, and modulation of gene expression in neuronal cells.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Antioxidants / metabolism
  • Dopaminergic Neurons / drug effects
  • Dopaminergic Neurons / metabolism
  • Flavonoids / pharmacology
  • Flavonoids / therapeutic use*
  • Humans
  • Lipid Peroxidation / drug effects
  • Mitochondria / drug effects
  • Mitochondria / metabolism
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / metabolism
  • Oxidoreductases / metabolism
  • Parkinson Disease / drug therapy*
  • Parkinson Disease / metabolism
  • Parkinson Disease / pathology
  • Protective Agents / pharmacology
  • Protective Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism

Substances

  • Antioxidants
  • Flavonoids
  • Protective Agents
  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Oxidoreductases
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases