Antiaging interventions: An insight into polyphenols and brain aging

Abstract

Neurodegenerative diseases are progressively increasing globally and most often are associated with the aging process. Time and again, neuroscientists and clinicians have tried many approaches to maintain a healthy brain with normal aging. Irrespective of the approaches, oxidative stress is the marker of several age-related disorders of the brain, and the primary consideration of nutrigerontologists is toward lessening the burden of reactive oxygen species through dietary interventions that can positively trigger numerous genes encoding many antioxidant enzymes and pro-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory factors and finally maintain a redox balance. Among the various approaches, naturally derived bioactive compounds have attracted the attention of scientists, and what is more is that polyphenols have gained popularity because of the various benefits derived from them either on their own or in combination with nonpharmacological means such as physical exercise. Human and animal experiments using flavonoids, a class of polyphenols, have suggested a positive relation between flavonoids such as catechin and preservation of cognitive function with age. This review is, firstly, an assembly of recent findings on nutrient signaling pathways of polyphenols, commonly found in fruits and vegetables, and, secondly, their impact on the brain as natural medicaments in promoting mental health with successful aging and longevity.