Oxidative stress in alzheimer’s disease: A review on emergent natural polyphenolic therapeutics

Objectives: The aim of this research was to review the literature on Alzheimer’s disease (AD) with a focus on polyphenolics as antioxidant therapeutics. Design: This review included a search of the literature up to and including September 2019 in PubMed and MEDLINE databases using search terms that included: Alzheimer’s Disease, Aβ peptide, tau, oxidative stress, redox, oxidation, therapeutic, antioxidant, natural therapy, polyphenol. Any review articles, case studies, research reports and articles in English were identified and subsequently interrogated. Citations within relevant articles were also examined for consideration in this review. Results: Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that is clinically characterised by the progressive deterioration of cognitive functions and drastic changes in behaviour and personality. Due to the significant presence of oxidative damage associated with abnormal Aβ accumulation and neurofibrillary tangle deposition in AD patients’ brains, antioxidant drug therapy has been investigated as potential AD treatment. In particular, naturally occurring compounds, such as plant polyphenols, have been suggested to have potential neuroprotective effects against AD due to their diverse array of physiological actions, which includes potent antioxidant effects. Conclusions: The impact of oxidative stress and various mechanisms of pathogenesis in AD pathophysiology was demonstrated along with the therapeutic potential of emergent antioxidant drugs to address such mechanism of oxidation.