Polyunsaturated fatty acids as a nutraceutical for age-related neurodegenerative diseases: Current knowledge and future directions
Hilal Şimşek, Aslı Uçar
Abstract
Age-related neurodegeneration is an important public health challenge with the increasing burden of geriatric disease in the aging world population. Interest in nutraceuticals in the prevention and management of age-related neurodegeneration is therefore becoming more important than ever, especially in the management of neurodegenerative diseases and mild cognitive impairments, which are major contributors to the burden of geriatric disease. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are considered one of the most important nutraceuticals with their biochemical mechanisms, especially antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Potential mechanisms by which PUFAs alleviate or prevent neurodegeneration include suppression of neuroinflammation and neurotoxicity, neuro-recovery, and support of the blood-brain barrier integrity. This review will consider the mechanisms and current information on the effect of supplementation or dietary intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids as nutraceuticals on neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.