title: Emerging role of polyphenolic compounds in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases: a review of their intracellular targets.
abstract: Aging is the major risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. A large body of evidence indicates that oxidative stress is involved in the pathophysiology of these diseases. Oxidative stress can induce neuronal damages, modulate intracellular signaling, ultimately leading to neuronal death by apoptosis or necrosis. Thus antioxidants have been studied for their effectiveness in reducing these deleterious effects and neuronal death in many in vitro and in vivo studies. Increasing number of studies demonstrated the efficacy of polyphenolic antioxidants from fruits and vegetables to reduce or to block neuronal death occurring in the pathophysiology of these disorders. These studies revealed that other mechanisms than the antioxidant activities could be involved in the neuroprotective effect of these phenolic compounds. We will review some of these mechanisms and particular emphasis will be given to polyphenolic compounds from green tea, the Ginkgo biloba extract EGb 761, blueberries extracts, wine components and curcumin.
authors.affiliation: INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier, 245 Hymus Boulevard, Pointe-claire, Québec, H9R 1G6/ INAF, Univ. Laval. Québec, QC, Canada. charles.ramassamy@iaf.inrs.ca
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ramassamy
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D029798:Blueberry Plants; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D003474:Curcumin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020441:Ginkgo biloba; D006801:Humans; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D010636:Phenols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use; D059808:Polyphenols; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex / Q000378:metabolism; D000077185:Resveratrol; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D013267:Stilbenes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013662:Tea; D014920:Wine; D000096983:Ginkgo Extract
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D003474:Curcumin; D005419:Flavonoids; D010636:Phenols; D010936:Plant Extracts; D059808:Polyphenols; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex; D000077185:Resveratrol; D013267:Stilbenes; D013662:Tea; C063170:Ginkgo biloba extract; D000096983:Ginkgo Extract