The Use of Flavonoids in Central Nervous System Disorders

Abstract

Neurodegenerative, neurological and psychiatric diseases are a group of pathologies with huge social and economic impacts. Since brain disorders continue to be pathological conditions for which corrective surgery cannot be widely used, treatments are based on drugs that only alleviate the symptoms. Despite all efforts in finding more efficient therapeutic agents, the requirement for neuroprotective drugs able to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) has been a hard challenge to overcome. Flavonoids are known by their antioxidant activities thus preventing oxidative stress, which is believe to be one of the causes of disorders affecting the central nervous system. Moreover, they can also modulate both enzymes and receptors activities, being regarded as multi-target botanical therapeutics or drugs. This review will give emphasis to the benefits of flavonoids found in the diet in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, depression, and schizophrenia. The antioxidant effect of several flavonoids, as well as their effects not related with antioxidant activity, in the above mentioned diseases will be reviewed. Aspects concerning structure-activity relationships, but also the bioavailability of these compounds in the brain will be referred.

N-Palmitoylethanolamine and Neuroinflammation: a Novel Therapeutic Strategy of Resolution

“…Treatment with co-ultraPEALut at the dose of 1 mg/kg (PEA/luteolin in a 10:1 mass ratio) reduced motor disturbance after SCI more effectively than treatment with PEA and luteolin (Lut) administered alone or with PEA (0.9 mg/kg) + Lut (0.1 mg/kg) administered as combination therapy. flavonoids, polyphenolic phytochemicals with potent antioxidant capacity, exhibit well-described neuroprotective/antiinflammatory actions [55]. Among the family of flavonoids, luteolin (3′,4′,5,7-tetrahydroxyflavone) is claimed to possess memory-improving [56] and anxiolytic [57] effects.…”

Protective effects of berry polyphenols against age-related cognitive impairment

“…Although modern treatments are effective at managing the early motor symptoms of the disease [76], and surgery and deep-brain stimulation can be of use when drugs do not suffice to control symptoms [77], as there is currently no cure for PD. Interestingly, a diet enriched in polyphenol compounds has shown some efficacy in alleviating the symptoms of PD [78]. For example, in MPTP-injected mice, a toxin known to induce neuronal death, resveratrol was able to prevent MPTP-induced depletion of striatal dopamine, and to maintain striatal tyrosine hydroxylase protein levels, two neuropathological markers observed in PD patients [78,79].…”

“…Interestingly, a diet enriched in polyphenol compounds has shown some efficacy in alleviating the symptoms of PD [78]. For example, in MPTP-injected mice, a toxin known to induce neuronal death, resveratrol was able to prevent MPTP-induced depletion of striatal dopamine, and to maintain striatal tyrosine hydroxylase protein levels, two neuropathological markers observed in PD patients [78,79].…”

Fibromyalgia Syndrome in Need of Effective Treatments

“…A recent clinical trial reported statistically significant benefits of a luteolin-containing dietary supplement in children with autism (Taliou et al, 2013), many of whom have "allergic-like" symptoms (Theoharides, 2013b), which implicates MC activation (Theoharides et al, 2012b). In fact, flavonoids have recently been discussed as a possible treatment of central nervous system disorders (Jager and Saaby, 2011; Grosso et al, 2013).…”