Polyphenols, Alkaloids, and Terpenoids Against Neurodegeneration: Evaluating the Neuroprotective Effects of Phytocompounds Through a Comprehensive Review of the Current Evidence

At least your competent? doctor has known of polyphenols and has been working on them for years already, right? Oh no, you DON'T HAVE A FUNCTIONING STROKE DOCTOR, DO YOU?

• polyphenols (26 posts to September 2012)

With your extra risk of dementia post stroke, you doctor has a lot of work to do to prevent dementia! YOUR DOCTOR'S RESPONSIBILITY! Don't let your doctor weasel out of that! Your doctors have had over a decade to accomplish that! Were they competent at that or not?

1. A documented 33% dementia chance post-stroke from an Australian study?   May 2012.

2. Then this study came out and seems to have a range from 17-66%. December 2013.`    

3. A 20% chance in this research.   July 2013.

4. Dementia Risk Doubled in Patients Following Stroke September 2018

5. Brain Bleeds Double Dementia Risk February 2025

The latest here:

Polyphenols, Alkaloids, and Terpenoids Against Neurodegeneration: Evaluating the Neuroprotective Effects of Phytocompounds Through a Comprehensive Review of the Current Evidence

by 

Enzo Pereira de Lima

 1,

Lucas Fornari Laurindo

 1,

Vitor Cavallari Strozze Catharin

 1,

Rosa Direito

 2,

Masaru Tanaka

 3,

Iris Jasmin Santos German

 4,

Caroline Barbalho Lamas

 5,

Elen Landgraf Guiguer

 1,6,

Adriano Cressoni Araújo

 1,6,

Adriana Maria Ragassi Fiorini

 7 and

Sandra Maria Barbalho

 1,6,*

1

Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Universidade de Marília (UNIMAR), Marília 17525-902, São Paulo, Brazil

2

Laboratory of Systems Integration Pharmacology, Clinical and Regulatory Science, Research Institute for Medicines, Universidade de Lisboa (iMed.ULisboa), Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal

3

HUN-REN-SZTE Neuroscience Research Group, Danube Neuroscience Research Laboratory, Hungarian Research Network, University of Szeged (HUN-REN-SZTE), Tisza Lajos Krt. 113, H-6725 Szeged, Hungary

4

Department of Biological Sciences (Anatomy), School of Dentistry of Bauru, University of São Paulo (FOB-USP), Alameda Doutor Octávio Pinheiro Brisolla, 9-75, Bauru 17012-901, São Paulo, Brazil

5

Department of Gerontology, School of Gerontology, Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos 13565-905, São Paulo, Brazil

6

Postgraduate Program in Structural and Functional Interactions in Rehabilitation, University of Marília (UNIMAR), Marília 17525-902, São Paulo, Brazil

7

Department of Biochemistry and Nutrition, School of Food and Technology of Marília (FATEC), Marília 17500-000, São Paulo, Brazil

*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Metabolites 2025, 15(2), 124; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo15020124

Submission received: 24 December 2024 / Revised: 7 February 2025 / Accepted: 9 February 2025 / Published: 13 February 2025

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plants and Plant-Based Foods for Metabolic Disease Prevention)

Abstract

Neurodegenerative diseases comprise a group of chronic, usually age-related, disorders characterized by progressive neuronal loss, deformation of neuronal structure, or loss of neuronal function, leading to a substantially reduced quality of life. They remain a significant focus of scientific and clinical interest due to their increasing medical and social importance. Most neurodegenerative diseases present intracellular protein aggregation or their extracellular deposition (plaques), such as α-synuclein in Parkinson’s disease and amyloid beta (Aβ)/tau aggregates in Alzheimer’s. Conventional treatments for neurodegenerative conditions incur high costs and are related to the development of several adverse effects. In addition, many patients are irresponsive to them. For these reasons, there is a growing tendency to find new therapeutic approaches to help patients. This review intends to investigate some phytocompounds’ effects on neurodegenerative diseases. These conditions are generally related to increased oxidative stress and inflammation, so phytocompounds can help prevent or treat neurodegenerative diseases. To achieve our aim to provide a critical assessment of the current literature about phytochemicals targeting neurodegeneration, we reviewed reputable databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, and COCHRANE, seeking clinical trials that utilized phytochemicals against neurodegenerative conditions. A few clinical trials investigated the effects of phytocompounds in humans, and after screening, 13 clinical trials were ultimately included following PRISMA guidelines. These compounds include polyphenols (flavonoids such as luteolin and quercetin, phenolic acids such as rosmarinic acid, ferulic acid, and caffeic acid, and other polyphenols like resveratrol), alkaloids (such as berberine, huperzine A, and caffeine), and terpenoids (such as ginkgolides and limonene). The gathered evidence underscores that quercetin, caffeine, ginkgolides, and other phytochemicals are primarily anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective, counteracting neuroinflammation, neuronal oxidation, and synaptic dysfunctions, which are crucial aspects of neurodegenerative disease intervention in various included conditions, such as Alzheimer’s and other dementias, depression, and neuropsychiatric disorders. In summary, they show that the use of these compounds is related to significant improvements in cognition, memory, disinhibition, irritability/lability, aberrant behavior, hallucinations, and mood disorders.