Title:Polyphenols Beyond Barriers: A Glimpse into the Brain
Volume: 15
Issue: 4
Author(s): Ines Figueira, Regina Menezes, Diana Macedo, Ines Costa and Claudia Nunes dos Santos*
Affiliation:
- Molecular Nutrition and Health Laboratory, IBET/ITQB, Av. da Republica, 2780-157 Oeiras, Universidade Nova de Lisboa,Portugal
Keywords:
Bioavailability, blood-brain barrier, healthy ageing, neurodegenerative disorders, neuroprotection, polyphenols.
Abstract: Background: Ageing can be simply defined as the process of becoming older, which is
genetically determined but also environmentally modulated. With the continuous increase of life
expectancy, quality of life during ageing has become one of the biggest challenges of developed countries.
The quest for a healthy ageing has led to the extensive study of plant polyphenols with the aim to prevent
age-associated deterioration and diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases. The world of polyphenols
has fascinated researchers over the past decades, and in vitro, cell-based, animal and human studies have
attempted to unravel the mechanisms behind dietary polyphenols neuroprotection.
Methods: In this review, we compiled some of the extensive and ever-growing research in the field,
highlighting some of the most recent trends in the area.
Results: The main findings regarding polypolyphenols neuroprotective potential performed using
in vitro, cellular and animal studies, as well as human trials are covered in this review. Concepts like
bioavailability, polyphenols biotransformation, transport of dietary polyphenols across barriers, including
the blood-brain barrier, are here explored.
Conclusion: The diversity and holistic properties of polypolyphenol present them as an attractive
alternative for the treatment of multifactorial diseases, where a multitude of cellular pathways are
disrupted. The underlying mechanisms of polypolyphenols for nutrition or therapeutic applications must be
further consolidated, however there is strong evidence of their beneficial impact on brain function during
ageing. Nevertheless, only the tip of the iceberg of nutritional and pharmacological potential of dietary
polyphenols is hitherto understood and further research needs to be done to fill the gaps in pursuing a
healthy ageing.
