The Impact of Vitamin E and Other Fat-Soluble Vitamins on Alzheimer´s Disease

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly population, currently affecting 46 million people worldwide. Histopathologically, the disease is characterized by the occurrence of extracellular amyloid plaques composed of aggregated amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles containing the microtubule-associated protein tau. Aβ peptides are derived from the sequential processing of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) by enzymes called secretases, which are strongly influenced by the lipid environment. Several vitamins have been reported to be reduced in the plasma/serum of AD-affected individuals indicating they have an impact on AD pathogenesis. In this review we focus on vitamin E and the other lipophilic vitamins A, D, and K, and summarize the current knowledge about their status in AD patients, their impact on cognitive functions and AD risk, as well as their influence on the molecular mechanisms of AD. The vitamins might affect the generation and clearance of Aβ both by direct effects and indirectly by altering the cellular lipid homeostasis. Additionally, vitamins A, D, E, and K are reported to influence further mechanisms discussed to be involved in AD pathogenesis, e.g., Aβ-aggregation, Aβ-induced neurotoxicity, oxidative stress, and inflammatory processes, as summarized in this article.

Recovery and Utilization of Palm Oil Mill Effluent Source as Value-Added Food Products

“…The differences between the extracts and palm olein are mainly due to the processing parameters and materials used during refinery processes. Previous studies have proven that tocols are able to exert beneficial roles on neurological function, regulate enzymatic activities and gene expression, as well as antioxidant and anti-clotting activities 38 . Both extracts are found to be containing these minor components, which possess numerous health beneficial effects, proposing both extracts as good sources of nutritional food.…”

Protection from the Pathogenesis of Neurodegenerative Disorders, including Alzheimer’s Disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Huntington’s Disease, and Parkinson’s Diseases, through the Mitigation of Reactive Oxygen Species

“…A growing body of evidence indicates that a wholesome dietary plan consisting of ish, fruit, and vegetables is important for optimizing cognition and reducing the risk of AD [73]. In particular, reduced levels of fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamins A, D, E, and K, may be responsible for causing a cognitive decline among AD patients [30,[74][75][76]. Antioxidants that may help treat AD as adjuvants to traditional therapies include vitamins A, C, and E [16,30,75,77].…”

“…In particular, reduced levels of fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamins A, D, E, and K, may be responsible for causing a cognitive decline among AD patients [30,[74][75][76]. Antioxidants that may help treat AD as adjuvants to traditional therapies include vitamins A, C, and E [16,30,75,77]. Vitamin A has been reported to prevent the formation of Aβ plaques [78].…”

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“…Vitamin E also plays a role in maintaining hippocampal plasticity and may affect the generation and clearance of amyloid-b (Ab) peptides, which is the main component of the amyloid plaques found in Alzheimer's patients (130,131).…”