Title:An Increasing Role of Polyphenols as Novel Therapeutics for Alzheimer’s: A Review
Volume: 16
Issue: 8
Author(s): Nasiara Karim, Haroon Khan*, Imran Khan, Ouyang Guo, Eduardo Sobarzo-Sánchez, Luca Rastrelli and Mohammad A. Kamal
Affiliation:
- Department of Pharmacy, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan 23200,Pakistan
Keywords:
Alzheimer's disease, polyphenols, flavonoids, dementia, neuroprotection cellular mechanism, neurodegenerative
disorders.
Abstract: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder, with approximately
29 million older people suffering from this disease worldwide. This number is expected
to become triple by 2050. AD is a complex and multifactorial neurodegenerative condition,
characterized by complex pathology including oxidative stress, formation of aggregates of amyloid
and tau, enhanced immune responses, metal deposition and disturbances in cholinesterase enzymes.
There is no effective pharmacological treatment for combating the disease to date. The ineffectiveness
of current pharmacological interventions in AD has led scientists to search for more
safe and effective alternative therapeutic agents. Thus, natural products have become an important
avenue for drug discovery in AD research. In this regard, polyphenols are natural products that
have been shown to be effective in the modulation of the type of neurodegenerative changes seen
in AD, suggesting a possible therapeutic role. The present review focuses on the chemistry of
polyphenols, clinical studies for evaluating polyphenols as effective alternatives in AD treatment,
cellular and molecular aspects of polyphenols in improving cognitive deficits and the current challenges
and futuristic approaches to use polyphenols as safe and effective therapeutic agents in AD
treatment.