Flavonoids as Promising Neuroprotectants and Their Therapeutic Potential against Alzheimer's Disease

Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2022 Aug 28:2022:6038996. doi: 10.1155/2022/6038996. eCollection 2022.

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the serious and progressive neurodegenerative disorders in the elderly worldwide. Various genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors are associated with its pathogenesis that affect neuronal cells to degenerate over the period of time. AD is characterized by cognitive dysfunctions, behavioural disability, and psychological impairments due to the accumulation of amyloid beta (Aβ) peptides and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT). Several research reports have shown that flavonoids are the polyphenolic compounds that significantly improve cognitive functions and inhibit or delay the amyloid beta aggregation or NFT formation in AD. Current research has uncovered that dietary use of flavonoid-rich food sources essentially increases intellectual abilities and postpones or hinders the senescence cycle and related neurodegenerative problems including AD. During AD pathogenesis, multiple signalling pathways are involved and to target a single pathway may relieve the symptoms but not provides the permanent cure. Flavonoids communicate with different signalling pathways and adjust their activities, accordingly prompting valuable neuroprotective impacts. Flavonoids likewise hamper the movement of obsessive indications of neurodegenerative disorders by hindering neuronal apoptosis incited by neurotoxic substances. In this short review, we briefly discussed about the classification of flavonoids and their neuroprotective properties that could be used as a potential source for the treatment of AD. In this review, we also highlight the structural features of flavonoids, their beneficial roles in human health, and significance in plants as well as their microbial production.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Alzheimer Disease* / pathology
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides / metabolism
  • Flavonoids / metabolism
  • Flavonoids / pharmacology
  • Flavonoids / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Neurofibrillary Tangles / metabolism
  • Neuroprotective Agents* / metabolism
  • Neuroprotective Agents* / pharmacology
  • Neuroprotective Agents* / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Amyloid beta-Peptides
  • Flavonoids
  • Neuroprotective Agents