Neuroinflammation is one of the main mechanisms involved in the progression of several neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson, Alzheimer, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and others. The activation of microglia is the main feature of neuroinflammation, promoting the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and resulting in the progressive neuronal cell death. Natural compounds, such as flavonoids, possess neuroprotective potential probably related to their ability to modulate the inflammatory responses involved in neurodegenerative diseases. In fact, pure flavonoids (e.g., quercetin, genistein, hesperetin, epigallocatechin-3-gallate) or enriched-extracts, can reduce the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β and COX-2), down-regulate inflammatory markers and prevent neural damage. This anti-inflammatory activity is primarily related to the regulation of microglial cells, mediated by their effects on MAPKs and NF-κB signalling pathways, as demonstrated by in vivo and in vitro data. The present work reviews the role of inflammation in neurodegenerative diseases, highlighting the potential therapeutic effects of flavonoids as a promising approach to develop innovative neuroprotective strategy.

神经炎症是参与几种神经退行性疾病进展的主要机制之一，例如帕金森氏症，阿尔茨海默氏症，多发性硬化症，肌萎缩性侧索硬化症等。小胶质细胞的激活是神经炎症的主要特征，促进促炎性细胞因子的释放并导致进行性神经元细胞死亡。天然化合物（如类黄酮）具有神经保护潜力，可能与它们调节涉及神经退行性疾病的炎症反应的能力有关。实际上，纯类黄酮（例如槲皮素，染料木黄酮，橙皮素，表没食子儿茶素-3-没食子酸酯）或浓缩提取物可降低促炎细胞因子（IL-6，TNF-α，IL-1β和COX-2）的表达），下调炎症标记并防止神经损伤。体内和体外数据。本工作回顾了炎症在神经退行性疾病中的作用，强调了类黄酮作为开发创新的神经保护策略的有前途的方法的潜在治疗作用。