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Review
. 2023 Aug 29;13(9):1258.
doi: 10.3390/brainsci13091258.

Neuroprotective Potential of Flavonoids in Brain Disorders

Syed Hasan  1 , Nabeel Khatri  2 , Zainab N Rahman  2 , Amanda A Menezes  2 , Joud Martini  2 , Faheem Shehjar  2 , Numa Mujeeb  2 , Zahoor A Shah  2
Affiliations
Review

Neuroprotective Potential of Flavonoids in Brain Disorders

Syed Hasan et al. Brain Sci. .

Abstract

Flavonoids are a large subgroup of polyphenols known to be sourced from over 6000 natural products, including fruits, vegetables, bark, and herbs. Due to their antioxidant properties, flavonoids have been implicated as a therapy source for many diseases and conditions, including inflammation, vasculitis, venous insufficiency, and hemorrhoids. Currently, some flavonoids are being researched for their antioxidant ability concerning neuroprotection. These flavonoids can penetrate the blood-brain barrier and, depending on the specific flavonoid, retain adequate bioavailability in certain brain regions. Further data suggest that flavonoids could have a strong anti-inflammatory effect in the brain, which not only could be a robust therapeutic source for known neuroinflammatory diseases such as Alzheimer's Disease or Parkinson's Disease but also could be a therapeutic source for ischemic or hemorrhagic conditions such as a stroke. While flavonoid toxicity exists, they are relatively safe and non-invasive drugs from natural origins. As such, exploring the known mechanisms and therapies may highlight and establish flavonoid therapy as a viable source of therapy for stroke patients. As stated, many flavonoids are already being isolated, purified, and implemented in both in vitro and in vivo experiments. As these flavonoids proceed to clinical trials, it will be important to understand how they function as a therapy, primarily as antioxidants, and by other secondary mechanisms. This review aims to elucidate those mechanisms and explore the neuroprotective role of flavonoids.

Keywords: brain injury; flavonoids; neuroinflammation; neuroprotection; stroke.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Neuroprotective effect of flavonoids in neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration through different mechanisms of action.
Figure 2
Figure 2
General chemical structure and synthesis of flavonoids. The general chemical structure of flavonoids consists of a 15-carbon flavone skeleton, C6-C3-C6, with two pyran benzene rings (A and B) linked by a three-carbon heterocyclic oxygen-containing pyran ring C.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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