Neuroprotective actions of hydroxytyrosol

Abstract

The Mediterranean Diet has been associated with different beneficial properties for many years. Virgin olive oil, the main source of lipids in this diet, is rich in phenolic compounds, especially in hydroxytyrosol (HTX), a very interesting molecule from a pharmaceutical point of view due to its numerous beneficial effects on human health. HTX has antitumor, antiviral, and microbicidal properties and has role in cardioprotection and in metabolic syndrome too. Additionally, the strong antioxidant and antiinflammatory actions of this compound may be responsible for at least some of the neuroprotective effects associated with Mediterranean Diet. In this review, we focus on the beneficial properties of HTX in the prevention or counteraction of some neurodegenerative processes like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s diseases, and in the role of maternal HTX supplementation, that may help to diminish the potential damage to the brain provoked by oxidative stress and cellular malfunction in risky pregnancies.