Tyrosol as a Neuroprotector: Strong Effects of a "Weak" Antioxidant

Abstract

The use of neuroprotective agents for stroke is pathogenetically justified, but the translation of the results of preclinical studies of neuroprotectors into clinical practice has been a noticeable failure. One of the leading reasons for these failures is the one-target mechanism of their activity. p-Tyrosol (Tyr), a biophenol, is present in a variety of natural sources, mainly in foods, such as olive oil and wine. Tyr has a wide spectrum of biological activity: antioxidant, stress-protective, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, cardioprotective, neuroprotective and many others. This review analyzes data on the neuroprotective, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic and other kinds of Tyr activity as well as data on the pharmacokinetics of the substance. The data presented in the review substantiate the acceptability of tyr as the basis for the development of a new neuroprotective drug with multitarget activity for the treatment of ischemic stroke. Tyr is a promising molecule for the development of an effective neuroprotective agent for use in ischemic stroke.

Keywords: Ischemic stroke; anti-apoptotic activity; anti-inflammatory activity; antioxidant activity; neuroprotective activity; p-tyrosol; pharmacokinetics.