The high demand for molecular oxygen, the enrichment of polyunsaturated fatty acids in membrane phospholipids, and the relatively low abundance of antioxidant defense enzymes are factors rendering cells in the central nervous system (CNS) particularly vulnerable to oxidative stress. Excess production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the brain has been implicated as a common underlying factor for the etiology of a number of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and stroke. While ROS are generated by enzymatic and nonenzymatic reactions in the mitochondria and cytoplasm under normal conditions, excessive production under pathological conditions is associated with activation of Ca(2+)-dependent enzymes including proteases, phospholipases, nucleases, and alterations of signaling pathways which subsequently lead to mitochondrial dysfunction, release of inflammatory factors, and apoptosis. In recent years, there is considerable interest to investigate antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects of phenolic compounds from different botanical sources. In this review, we describe oxidative mechanisms associated with AD, PD, and stroke, and evaluate neuroprotective effects of phenolic compounds, such as resveratrol from grape and red wine, curcumin from turmeric, apocynin from Picrorhiza kurroa, and epi-gallocatechin from green tea. The main goal is to provide a better understanding of the mode of action of these compounds and assess their use as therapeutics to ameliorate age-related neurodegenerative diseases.

中文翻译：

---

植物酚类物质和大脑健康。


对分子氧的高需求、膜磷脂中多不饱和脂肪酸的富集以及抗氧化防御酶丰度相对较低是导致中枢神经系统（CNS）细胞特别容易受到氧化应激的因素。大脑中活性氧 (ROS) 的过量产生被认为是许多神经退行性疾病病因的常见潜在因素，包括阿尔茨海默病 (AD)、帕金森病 (PD) 和中风。正常条件下ROS是通过线粒体和细胞质中的酶促和非酶促反应产生的，而病理条件下ROS的过量产生与Ca(2+)依赖性酶（包括蛋白酶、磷脂酶、核酸酶）的激活以及信号通路的改变有关，这些酶随后导致信号通路的改变。导致线粒体功能障碍、炎症因子释放和细胞凋亡。近年来，人们对研究不同植物来源的酚类化合物的抗氧化和抗炎作用产生了很大的兴趣。在这篇综述中，我们描述了与AD、PD和中风相关的氧化机制，并评估了酚类化合物的神经保护作用，例如来自葡萄和红酒的白藜芦醇、来自姜黄的姜黄素、来自胡黄连的夹竹桃麻素和来自绿茶的表没食子儿茶素。主要目标是更好地了解这些化合物的作用方式，并评估它们作为改善与年龄相关的神经退行性疾病的疗法的用途。