A Case for the Neuroprotective Potential of African Phytochemicals in the Management of Alzheimer’s Disease

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder characterized of cognitive dysfunction. AD is believed to be a global menace with an estimated fourfold increase in prevalence by the year 2050. This increasing prevalence is linked to the unavailability of efficient treatment to halt the disease progression. While several hypotheses have been postulated on AD, oxidative stress, a state of an imbalance between antioxidant and free radical generation, has long been implicated in the pathogenesis of age-dependent late-onset AD. This state induces cognitive decline by stimulating neuronal damage, notably involving increased free radical production, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Pharmacological agents used in AD management have serious adverse effects and inability to halt disease progression. This has led to the emergence of naturally occurring neuroprotective phytochemical agents and herbal supplements as therapeutic option agents. Indeed, emerging studies have revealed the neuroprotective potential of different African herbal products, containing bioflavonoid compounds with central nervous system permeability and high antioxidant actions. Given this background, this chapter aims to discuss some of these African antioxidant bioflavonoids\\nutraceuticals, their neuroprotective functions against different epigenetic-derived oxidative stress, and ways ahead to facilitate their translation from “bench to bedside” as primary intervention or co-adjuvant therapies for AD treatment.