A Brief Review on the Neuroprotective Mechanisms of Vitexin

Biomed Res Int. 2018 Dec 5:2018:4785089. doi: 10.1155/2018/4785089. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

The neural dysfunction is triggered by cellular and molecular events that provoke neurotoxicity and neural death. Currently, neurodegenerative diseases are increasingly common, and available treatments are focused on relieving symptoms. Based on the above, in this review we describe the participation of vitexin in the main events involved in the neurotoxicity and cell death process, as well as the use of vitexin as a therapeutic approach to suppress or attenuate neurodegenerative progress. Vitexin contributes to increasing neuroprotective factors and pathways and counteract the targets that induce neurodegeneration, such as redox imbalance, neuroinflammation, abnormal protein aggregation, and reduction of cognitive and/or motor impairment. The results obtained provide substantial evidence to support the scientific exploration of vitexin in these pathologies, since their effects are still little explored for this direction.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apigenin / therapeutic use*
  • Cell Death / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Inflammation / drug therapy
  • Inflammation / metabolism
  • Inflammation / pathology
  • Neurodegenerative Diseases / drug therapy*
  • Neurodegenerative Diseases / metabolism
  • Neurodegenerative Diseases / pathology
  • Neuroprotective Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Protein Aggregation, Pathological / drug therapy*
  • Protein Aggregation, Pathological / metabolism
  • Protein Aggregation, Pathological / pathology

Substances

  • Neuroprotective Agents
  • Apigenin
  • vitexin