Apetz Nadine, Munch Gerald, Govindaraghavan Suresh, Gyengesi Erika
School of Medicine, University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia.
CNS Neurol Disord Drug Targets. 2014;13(7):1175-91. doi: 10.2174/1871527313666140917110635.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by deposition of amyloid beta, neurofibrillary tangles, astrogliosis and microgliosis, leading to neuronal dysfunction and loss in the brain. Bio- and histochemical evidence suggests a pivotal role of central and peripheral inflammation in its aetiopathology, linked to the production of free radicals. Numerous epidemiological studies support that the long-term use of non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs is preventive against AD, but these medications do not slow down the progression of the disease in already diagnosed patients. There are a number of studies focusing on traditional herbal medicines and small molecules (usually plant secondary metabolites) as potential anti-inflammatory drugs, particulary in respect to cytokine suppression. For instance, ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and a number of polyphenolic phytochemicals have been shown to be effective against inflammation in animal and cell models. Some of these plant secondary metabolites have also been shown to possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-amyloidogenic, neuroprotective, and cognition-enhancing effects. This review will provide an overview the effects of catechins/proanthocyanidins from green tea, curcumin from turmeric, extracts enriched in bacosides from Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri), flavone glycosides from Ginkgo biloba, and ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. They do not only counteract one pathophysiological aspect of AD in numerous in vitro and in vivo studies of models of AD, but also ameliorate several of the above mentioned pathologies. The evidence suggests that increased consumption of these compounds might lead to a safe strategy to delay the onset of AD. The continuing investigation of the potential of these substances is necessary as they are promising to yield a possible remedy for this pervasive disease.
阿尔茨海默病（AD）是一种进行性神经退行性疾病，其特征为β-淀粉样蛋白沉积、神经原纤维缠结、星形胶质细胞增生和小胶质细胞增生，导致大脑神经元功能障碍和丧失。生物学和组织化学证据表明，中枢和外周炎症在其病因病理学中起关键作用，这与自由基的产生有关。大量流行病学研究支持长期使用非甾体抗炎药可预防AD，但这些药物并不能减缓已确诊患者的疾病进展。有许多研究聚焦于传统草药和小分子（通常是植物次生代谢产物）作为潜在的抗炎药物，特别是在细胞因子抑制方面。例如，ω-3多不饱和脂肪酸和一些多酚类植物化学物质已被证明在动物和细胞模型中对炎症有效。这些植物次生代谢产物中的一些还被证明具有抗氧化、抗炎、抗淀粉样蛋白生成、神经保护和认知增强作用。本综述将概述绿茶中的儿茶素/原花青素、姜黄中的姜黄素、婆罗门参（积雪草）富含积雪草苷的提取物、银杏中的黄酮苷以及ω-3多不饱和脂肪酸的作用。它们不仅在众多AD模型的体外和体内研究中抵消了AD的一个病理生理学方面，而且还改善了上述几种病理状况。有证据表明，增加这些化合物的摄入量可能会成为一种安全的策略来延缓AD的发病。对这些物质潜力的持续研究是必要的，因为它们有望为这种普遍存在的疾病提供一种可能的治疗方法。
