Oxidative stress is known to be a key factor in many neurodegenerative diseases. Inflammation also plays a relevant role in a myriad of pathologies such as diabetes and atherosclerosis. Polyphenols coming from dietary sources, such as pterostilbene, may be beneficial in this type of diseases. However, most of them are rapidly metabolized and excreted, yielding very low phenolic bioavailability what makes it difficult to find out which are the mechanisms responsible for the observed bioactivity. Herein, we evaluate the effects of pterostilbene and its metabolites against H2O2-induced cell damage in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells and against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-challenged RAW 264.7 macrophages. Among the metabolites tested, 3-methyl-4'-glucuronate-resveratrol (also called 4'-glucuronate pinostilbene, PIN-GlcAc, 11) prevented neuronal death via attenuation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and increased REDOX activity in neurons. This compound is also able to ameliorate LPS-mediated inflammation on macrophages via inhibition of IL-6 and NO production. Thus, polyphenol from dietary sources could be part of potential functional foods designed to ameliorate the onset and progression of certain neurodegenerative diseases via oxidative stress reduction.
Keywords: inflammation; metabolites; neuroprotective effect; polyphenols.