Supplemental substances derived from foods as adjunctive therapeutic agents for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and disorders

Adv Nutr. 2014 Jul 14;5(4):394-403. doi: 10.3945/an.113.005264. Print 2014 Jul.

Abstract

Neurodegenerative disorders and diseases (NDDs) that are either chronically acquired or triggered by a singular detrimental event are a rapidly growing cause of disability and/or death. In recent times, there have been major advancements in our understanding of various neurodegenerative disease states that have revealed common pathologic features or mechanisms. The many mechanistic parallels discovered between various neurodegenerative diseases suggest that a single therapeutic approach may be used to treat multiple disease conditions. Of late, natural compounds and supplemental substances have become an increasingly attractive option to treat NDDs because there is growing evidence that these nutritional constituents have potential adjunctive therapeutic effects (be it protective or restorative) on various neurodegenerative diseases. Here we review relevant experimental and clinical data on supplemental substances (i.e., curcuminoids, rosmarinic acid, resveratrol, acetyl-L-carnitine, and ω-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids) that have demonstrated encouraging therapeutic effects on chronic diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease and neurodegeneration resulting from acute adverse events, such as traumatic brain injury.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Acetylcarnitine / pharmacology
  • Acetylcarnitine / therapeutic use*
  • Alzheimer Disease / drug therapy
  • Brain / drug effects
  • Brain Injuries / drug therapy*
  • Cinnamates / pharmacology
  • Cinnamates / therapeutic use
  • Cognition Disorders / drug therapy*
  • Curcumin / pharmacology
  • Curcumin / therapeutic use
  • Depsides / pharmacology
  • Depsides / therapeutic use
  • Diet
  • Dietary Supplements*
  • Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / pharmacology
  • Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / therapeutic use*
  • Humans
  • Neurodegenerative Diseases / drug therapy*
  • Oxidative Stress / drug effects
  • Polyphenols / pharmacology
  • Polyphenols / therapeutic use*
  • Resveratrol
  • Rosmarinic Acid
  • Stilbenes / pharmacology
  • Stilbenes / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Cinnamates
  • Depsides
  • Fatty Acids, Omega-3
  • Polyphenols
  • Stilbenes
  • Acetylcarnitine
  • Curcumin
  • Resveratrol