Aging is a major risk factor for developing neurodegenerative diseases, and presently, there is no effective treatment for aging-related neurodegeneration
[49]. Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), Huntington’s disease (HD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), are characterized by the progressive loss of functional neuron cells
[50]. The brain requires comparably high amount of oxygen
[51] and the impaired oxidative balance in the brain has been substantially determined as the common feature of neurodegenerative diseases
[52][53]. Mounting research have reported the utilization of natural polyphenols on neurodegenerative diseases due to their antioxidant and anti-aging properties
[54][55][56][57][58]. Grape is an evident example of fruits that contain a high content of polyphenols
[59]. Dietary supplement of grape polyphenol concentrate at 1.5 mL/kg significantly enhanced memory reconsolidation in transgenic mouse model of PD
[60]. Curcumin is a polyphenol present in turmeric (
Curcuma longa) root, which is a yellow pigment used in curry. In an old aluminum-induced neurotoxical rat model, oral gavage of 30 mg/ml/kg curcumin treatment significantly suppressed the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione-s-transferase (GST), protein kinase C (PKC), and Na
+, K
+-ATPase, thereby protecting the brain against aluminum toxicity in aging rats
[61]. Supplementation of EC (10 mg/kg) per day for two weeks significantly ameliorated 6-hydroxydopamine (OHDA)-lesioned PD behavior, including increased locomotor activity and decreased rotational behavior, as compared with sham operated control group in male rats, suggesting a neuroprotective property of this compound
[62]. Sugarcane (
Saccharum officinarum L.) top ethanolic extract was reported to contain several polyphenols with strong antioxidant effects, including 3-caffeoylquinic acid (CQA), 5-CQA, 3-O-feruloylquinic acid (FQA), and isoorientin
[63]. CQA provided at 5 mg/kg for 30 days was reported to enhance brain function of SAMP8 mice as demonstrated in the Morris water maze test
[64]. Consistently, microarray analysis showed that sugarcane top ethanolic extract regulated neuron development-associated genes in the cerebral cortex of SAMP8 mice
[63]. Isoorientin is a naturally occurring
C-glycosyl flavone and exists in several dietary plants, including corn silks
[65], rooibos tea
[66], and buckwheat
[67]. Interestingly, although isoorientin showed lower antimycobacterial activity in virulent strain
[68], it remarkably protected human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells from 6-OHDA-induced toxicity via the AMPK/Akt/Nrf2 signaling pathway
[69]. Olive polyphenols are components of the Mediterranean diet. Grewal et al. examined the effects of purified olive secoiridoid derivatives and their metabolites on mitochondrial function in SH-SY5Y-APP695 cells, a cellular model of early AD
[70]. An aging mouse model (Female NMRI mice, aged 12 months) was used to further examine the effects of purified secoiridoids (oleocanthal and ligstroside) in vivo. Results of in vitro studies showed that purified ligstroside protected against mitochondrial dysfunction by restoring ATP levels in models of early AD
[70]. Female NMRI mice supplemented with oleocanthal or ligstroside (6.25 mg/kg b.w) for six months showed improved spatial working memory and ATP levels in the brain
[70]. These results indicate that ligstroside can expand the lifespan in aging mice and enhance cognitive function. The ortho-diphenol hydroxytyrosol (HT) is one of the main components of extra virgin olive oil, which is an important part of the Mediterranean diet. Schaffer et al. reported that HT-rich olive mill wastewater extract (HT-E) and its main constituent HT were found to protect against ferrous iron or sodium nitroprusside-induced cytotoxicity in PC 12 neuronal cells
[71]. The same group further demonstrated that HT-E also protects isolated brain cells against oxidative stress after subchronic oral administration of the extract to mice, suggesting the neuroprotective potential of HT-E
[72]. The flavonoid 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (7,8-DHF) is one of the polyphenolic compounds and is naturally present in
Godmania aesculifolia,
Tridax procumbens, and in leaves of Primroses
[73]. Rho proteins, including the small GTPase Rac1 are essential regulators of neuronal synaptic plasticity. Interestingly, the levels of Rac1 and Rab3A were restored in membrane isolated from brains of aged mice when treated with 7,8-DHF at 100 mg /kg body weight once daily for a total of 21 days via oral gavage
[73]. Quercetin is one of the polyphenols found in many foods and vegetables, such as red wine, green tea, apples, and berries. Quercetin at 1 µM was found to prevent glucose-induced lifespan reduction of
C. elegans mev-1 mutants
[74]. The results of this study further demonstrated that the sirtuin SIR-2.1, the nuclear hormone receptor DAF-12, and MDT-15 are essential for the effect of quercetin
[74].
Although the etiology of AD is still elusive, the production of amyloid β (Aβ) peptides via β-secretase and γ-secretase cleavage are the pathological hallmarks of AD
[75]. In addition, abnormal phosphorylation and aggregation of tau protein in neuronal cells also lead to the progression of AD
[76]. As mentioned above, isoorientin is a naturally occurring polyphenol with strong antioxidant property and it has been demonstrated to protect human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells from β-amyloid induced tau hyperphosphorylation, thereby exerting neuroprotective potential
[65]. Treatment with green tea polyphenols significantly protected primary rat prefrontal cortical neuron cells from Aβ-induced neurotoxicity via the protein kinase B (PKB, also known as Akt) signaling pathway
[77]. In addition to green tea, coffee is also a popular beverage worldwide. Epidemiological studies have shown the lifespan-extending benefits of coffee-consuming habits
[78] and the potential of coffee consumption in alleviating the severity of PD
[79]. Chlorogenic acid largely presents in both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee, with a potent free radical scavenging activity and antioxidant effects
[80]. Treatment of chlorogenic acid (40 mg/kg bw) significantly improved spatial memory in the Morris water maize test and alleviated neuron damage in an AD mouse model
[81]. The biosynthetic compound 3’-
O-methyl-epicatechin-5-
O-
β-glucuronide, which is a grape derived polyphenol, improved basal synaptic transmission and cognitive functions in a mouse model of AD
[82]. Catechins are a group of bioactive polyphenols found in green tea leaves, among which (+)-catechin, EC, and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) are the most abundant and well-known compounds
[83]. These polyphenols also can be found in other fruits and vegetables such as cocoa beans and berries
[84]. In a mice model with an early appearance of learning and memory decline and an increased production of Aβ peptides, 0.05–0.1% catechin treatment decreased Aβ peptides and enhanced mice behavior in spatial learning and memory capacity tests
[85]. As aforementioned, resveratrol was quite a hot topic among scientists because of the “French Paradox” a decade ago. A comprehensive review paper summarized that resveratrol extends model organisms life expectancy by up to 60% depending on the dosage, gender, genetic background, and diet composition
[86]. In an intracerebroventricular injection of streptozotocin-induced brain insulin resistant rat model, 30 mg/kg/day resveratrol treatment significantly increased brain Sirt1 activity, reversed the hyperphosphorylation of tau, and enhanced the cognitive capability as compared with age-matched control rats
[87]. The pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases has a complex mechanism and as the elderly population gets larger, aging-related neurodegenerative diseases become a major worldwide public health concern. The available in vivo and in vitro studies indicate a possible role of polyphenols in improving cognitive function and neurodegenerative diseases, future clinical trials are needed to assess the possibility using natural polyphenols as a therapeutic strategy.