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Published on: January 30, 2014
Role of dietary phenols in mitigating microglia-mediated neuroinflammation
Parakalan Rangarajan1, Aparna Karthikeyan1, S T Dheen2
1Department of Anatomy, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Blk MD10, 4 Medical Drive, Singapore, 117597, Singapore.
Abstract:
Chronic neuroinflammation is a pathological feature of a number of central nervous system (CNS) diseases and is mediated by sustained activation of microglial cells, the innate immune cells of the CNS. Studies have mainly focused on identifying the molecular and epigenetic mechanisms of microglial activation. This is crucial in designing therapeutic strategies for neuropathologies in which prolonged microglial activation is known to exacerbate disease condition. In recent years, increasing evidence show that naturally occurring compounds present in regular diet could function as "nutraceuticals," arresting microglial activation, and thus conferring neuroprotection. This review summarizes our understanding of the role of dietary phenolic nutraceuticals in mitigating microglia-mediated neuroinflammation. Studies show that these natural phenols inhibit key signaling pathways in activated microglia such as the NFκB, MAPK and JAK-STAT that trigger microglia-mediated inflammation in various neuropathological conditions such as injury, infection, stroke, autism and neurodegenerative diseases, i.e., Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effect exerted by these natural phenols have shown considerable success in improving disease condition in animal models of neuropathologies, and thus seem to be suitable candidates for developing therapeutic strategies.
Insights
Dietary phenolic compounds, known as nutraceuticals, can reduce neuroinflammation by inhibiting microglial activation. These natural phenols offer neuroprotection and show promise for treating CNS diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Immunology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Chronic neuroinflammation, driven by activated microglial cells, is central to many central nervous system (CNS) diseases.
- Understanding microglial activation mechanisms is key for developing therapies for neuropathologies.
- Dietary compounds, or nutraceuticals, are emerging as potential agents to control neuroinflammation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the role of dietary phenolic nutraceuticals in managing microglia-mediated neuroinflammation.
- To explore how these compounds confer neuroprotection against CNS diseases.
Main Methods:
- Literature review focusing on studies investigating dietary phenols and microglial activation.
- Analysis of signaling pathways (NFκB, MAPK, JAK-STAT) affected by phenolic compounds.
- Evaluation of evidence from animal models of neuropathologies.
Main Results:
- Dietary phenolic nutraceuticals inhibit key inflammatory signaling pathways in activated microglia.
- These compounds possess significant anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
- Positive outcomes observed in animal models suggest therapeutic potential.
Conclusions:
- Dietary phenolic compounds are effective in mitigating microglia-mediated neuroinflammation.
- These nutraceuticals demonstrate neuroprotective effects by modulating key inflammatory pathways.
- Phenolic compounds represent promising candidates for therapeutic strategies against CNS diseases.
