Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer and Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Health and Science Center, San Antonio, TX, United States.
Protein Pept Lett. 2021;28(7):725-734. doi: 10.2174/0929866528666210127152359.
Flavonoids are commonly found in fruits, vegetables, and plant-derived foods and may promote various health benefits when included in the diet. The biological activity of flavonoids is normally associated to their potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, since oxidative stress is associated to conditions such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Additionally, flavonoids may be related to metabolic diseases through their effects on inflammatory mediators and pathways, barrier integrity and gut microbiota composition. The extensive metabolism undergone by flavonoids in humans and the individual differences in their bioavailability to target organs hinder the interpretation of results from cell and animal models. Prospective human studies therefore provide an important perspective. In the field of neurodegenerative disease, carefully designed cohort studies have uncovered important associations between flavonoid intake and reduction in dementia risk, especially regarding specific flavonols, but also anthocyanins. Alternative mechanisms of action, such as changes in the gut microbiota or modulation of the production of toxic proteins, such as amyloid and tau, likely account for an important component of their positive effects, and their elucidation may lead to public health benefits of large magnitude.
类黄酮广泛存在于水果、蔬菜和植物源性食物中，当它们被纳入饮食中时，可能会促进各种健康益处。类黄酮的生物活性通常与其强大的抗氧化和抗炎作用有关，因为氧化应激与糖尿病、肥胖症、心血管疾病和神经退行性疾病等疾病有关。此外，类黄酮可能通过对炎症介质和途径、屏障完整性和肠道微生物群组成的影响，与代谢性疾病有关。类黄酮在人体中经历的广泛代谢以及它们对靶器官的生物利用度的个体差异，阻碍了对细胞和动物模型结果的解释。因此，前瞻性的人类研究提供了一个重要的视角。在神经退行性疾病领域，精心设计的队列研究揭示了类黄酮摄入与降低痴呆风险之间的重要关联，尤其是特定的类黄酮醇和花色苷。作用机制的改变，如肠道微生物群的改变或对有毒蛋白质（如淀粉样蛋白和tau）产生的调节，可能是它们产生积极影响的一个重要组成部分，阐明这些机制可能会带来巨大的公共卫生益处。
