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Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a very common neurodegenerative disorder associated with memory loss and a progressive decline in cognitive activity. The two major pathophysiological factors responsible for AD are amyloid plaques (comprising amyloid-beta aggregates) and neurofibrillary tangles (consisting of hyperphosphorylated tau protein). Polyphenols, a class of naturally occurring compounds, are immensely beneficial for the treatment or management of various disorders and illnesses. Naturally occurring sources of polyphenols include plants and plant-based foods, such as fruits, herbs, tea, vegetables, coffee, red wine, and dark chocolate. Polyphenols have unique properties, such as being the major source of anti-oxidants and possessing anti-aging and anti-cancerous properties. Currently, dietary polyphenols have become a potential therapeutic approach for the management of AD, depending on various research findings. Dietary polyphenols can be an effective strategy to tackle multifactorial events that occur with AD. For instance, naturally occurring polyphenols have been reported to exhibit neuroprotection by modulating the Aβ biogenesis pathway in AD. Many nanoformulations have been established to enhance the bioavailability of polyphenols, with nanonization being the most promising. This review comprehensively provides mechanistic insights into the neuroprotective potential of dietary polyphenols in treating AD. It also reviews the usability of dietary polyphenol as nanoformulation for AD treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chagas disease (CHD) is the highest economic burden parasitosis worldwide and the most important cardiac infection, without therapeutic alternatives to halt or reverse its progression. In CHD-experimental models, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds have demonstrated therapeutic potential in cardiac dysfunction. Theobroma cacao polyphenols are potent natural antioxidants with cardioprotective and anti-inflammatory action, which are susceptible to degradation, requiring technological approaches to guarantee their protection, stability, and controlled release. Here, 21 cocoa polyphenol-rich microencapsulates were produced by spray-drying and freeze-drying techniques using two wall materials (maltodextrin and gum arabic). Chemical (total and individual phenolic content and antioxidant activity), structural (morphology), and biological parameters (cytotoxicity, trypanocidal, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory activities) were assessed to determine the most efficient microencapsulation conditions on Trypanosoma cruzi -infected myocardioblast and macrophage cells. Significant antiproliferative properties against infected cells (superior to benznidazole) were found in two microencapsulates which also exhibited cardioprotective properties against oxidative stress, inflammation, and cell death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ellagic acid is a botanical polyphenol which has been shown to have numerous effects on cellular function. Ellagic acid can induce apoptosis and inhibit the proliferation of various cancer cell types in vitro and in vivo . As such, ellagic acid has attracted significant interest as a potential chemotherapeutic compound. One mechanism by which ellagic acid has been proposed to affect cellular physiology is by regulating metabolic pathways. Here we show the dose-dependent effects of ellagic acid on cellular energy production and downstream induction of the apoptotic program in HEK293, HeLa, MCF7, and HepG2 cells. At physiologically relevant doses, ellagic acid has pleiotropic and cell-type specific effects on mitochondrial function. At high doses ellagic acid can also influence glycolytic pathways and induce cell death. Our results demonstrate that ellagic acid can influence mitochondrial function at therapeutically relevant concentrations. The observed effects of ellagic acid on cellular respiration are complex and cell type-specific, which may limit the chemotherapeutic utility of this compound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The aim of this experiment is to investigate the antioxidative and antiapoptotic roles of ellagic (EA) acid in in vitro and in in vivo experiment. We measured protective properties of EA against oxidative stress-induced hepatocyte damage in vitro and Concanavalin (ConA)-induced liver damage in vivo. EA, a potent antioxidant, exhibited protective properties against oxidative stress-induced hepatocyte damage by preventing vitamin k3 (VK3)-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) productions, apoptotic and necrotic cellular damage and mitochondrial depolarization, which is a main cause of ROS production. EA also protects against cell death and elevation of glutathione (GSH), alanine transaminase (ALT) and asparatate transaminase (AST) in Con A-induced fulminant liver damage in mice. These results show that antioxidant and cytoprotective properties of EA prevent liver damage induced by various type of oxidative stress. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Cancer recurrence poses a significant challenge. At the cellular level, recurrence takes place as a result of reactivation of dormant cancer cells residing at G 0 phase. The aim of the study was to identify compounds that can trap prostate and lung cancer cells in G 0 phase from a new Chinese herb recipe, Astringent recipe, consisting of Radix Paeoniae Alba , Agrimonia pilosa Ledeb , Fructus Mume, Fritillaria thunbergii Miq., Ganoderma Lucidum Karst , and Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bunge. Astringent recipe impeded cell cycle progression in prostate and lung cancer cells by rounding them up at G 0 phase by flow cytometric analysis of cancer cells stained with Hoechst 33342 and Pyronin Y, respectively, for DNA and RNA. The anti-cancer efficacy of the recipe was found to be attributable to Agrimonia pilosa Ledeb. Further study established that agrimol B, a polyphenol derived from Agrimonia pilosa Ledeb, contributed to the activity of the herb. The action of agrimol B on the cancer cells was likely derived from its effect on c-MYC, SKP2 and p27 by immunoblotting and immunofluorescence. Oral administration of Agrimonia pilosa Ledeb or agrimol B reduced growth of prostate cancer cell xenograft in animal. In conclusion, Agrimol B can enrich for prostate and lung cancer cells in G 0 state and influence key regulators that govern G 0 status. [Display omitted] • Astringent recipe exerts cytostatic action on a range of cancer cells. • Agrimonia pilosa Ledeb and agrimol B can enrich for prostate and lung cancer cells in G 0 state. • The influence of agrimol B on c-MYC, SKP2 and p27 may contribute to its anticancer action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]