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Review
. 2025 Feb;33(2):729-757.
doi: 10.1007/s10787-024-01606-9. Epub 2025 Jan 30.

Neuroprotective effects of phytochemicals through autophagy modulation in ischemic stroke

Amir Mahmoud Ahmadzadeh  1   2 , Ali Mohammad Pourbagher-Shahri  3 , Fatemeh Forouzanfar  4   5
Affiliations
Review

Neuroprotective effects of phytochemicals through autophagy modulation in ischemic stroke

Amir Mahmoud Ahmadzadeh et al. Inflammopharmacology. 2025 Feb.

Abstract

Stroke is a serious life-threatening medical condition. Understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms of this condition is crucial to identifying novel therapeutic targets that can improve patient outcomes. Autophagy is an essential mechanism for the destruction of damaged intracellular components that maintains homeostasis in physiological or pathological conditions. This process is involved in the pathophysiology of stroke. Phytochemicals are bioactive naturally occurring compounds present in plants. This paper reviews the neuroprotective roles of phytochemicals in ischemic stroke through autophagy modulation. It summarizes the interactions of various phytochemicals with key molecular targets of the autophagy pathway in ischemic stroke, including PI3K/Akt/mTOR, Beclin-1, and AMPK. Due to the ability of various phytochemicals to alter autophagic flux, they may provide promising opportunities in the development of new treatments and the improvement of stroke management.

Keywords: Autophagy; Carotenoids; Complementary medicine; Ischemic stroke; Medicinal plants; Polyphenols.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Conflict of interest: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. Ethical approval: Not applicable.

References

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