Polyphenol Ellagic Acid – Targeting To Brain: A Hidden Treasure

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease is a severe neurodegenerative disorder that gradually results in loss of memory and impairment of cognitive functions in the elderly. The deposition of amyloid plaques is the primary event that leads to an oxidative and inflammatory reactions, neurofibrillary tangle formation, and ultimately neuronal death. The most prominent losses occur with cholinergic neurons that plays an important role in the formation of memory and cognitive functions. Insulin receptor numbers also altered, thus glucose metabolism is defected in AD. Polyphenol ellagic acid (EA) possesses anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, anti-diabetic and cardioprotection activities. Activities of EA that are linked with protection of neuronal abnormalities like anti-depressant, anti-anxiety, anti-nociception. Ellagic acid inhibits β-secretase enzymatic activities, thus prevents the main pathologic hallmark of AD. There are varieties of herbal extracts and phytochemicals formulations extensively used to provide symptomatic relief to AD patients. Together these results our hypothesis that EA may prevent the neuronal dysfunctions as well as further work is also required to examine the pharmacological properties of EA in the protection of specially neurodegenerative disorder like AD. Here, we discuss how we can use the knowledge to improve treatment strategies of EA in AD and to explore the various signaling pathways involved in the progression of neuronal death.