“Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most prevalent neurodegenerative disease in the growing population of elderly people. A hallmark of AD is the accumulation of plaques in the brain of AD patients. The plaques predominantly consist of aggregates of amyloid-beta (Abeta), a peptide of 39-42 amino acids generated in vivo by specific, proteolytic cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein.” (Finder & Glockshuber)
Stefani & Rigacci review the evidence for polyphenols and their ability to reduce amyloid aggregation. Natural polyphenols are emerging as an increasingly attractive treatment for amyloid disease prevention and therapy. Evidence suggests that they can inhibit the production of amyloidogenic peptides, increase antioxidant enzyme activity and reduce inflammation. The researchers suggest that we should now be describing them as potentially multitargeting drugs.
Potential sources of polyphenols are found in, amongst others, vegetables, fruit and green tea.
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