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Therapeutic effects of catechins in less common neurological and neurodegenerative disorders
In search of possible pharmacological targets, research on neurological and neurodegenerative disorders has recently centered on altered molecular mechanisms. These mechanisms include inflammation, imbalances in response to oxidative stress, proliferation, apoptosis, autophagy, migration, differentiation, and neuronal plasticity. These imbalances occur in unconventional neurodegenerative and neurological abnormalities, such as multiple sclerosis, Huntington’s disease, Down syndrome, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). In this study by Sebastiani et al. (2021), the authors evaluated the impact of several catechins, especially epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), on these illnesses and their potential utility in preventing age-related cognitive decline in healthy adults. Because of its phenolic hydroxyl groups, EGCG has free radical scavenging and antioxidant qualities. Its immunomodulatory, autophagic, and neuritogenic qualities also make it a promising weapon against microglial activation and neuroinflammation, which are frequent in these disorders. While EGCG has been shown to alleviate the clinical severity of multiple sclerosis in animal models and to discourage protein aggregation in experimental Huntington’s disease research, its effectiveness in humans is still debatable. EGCG may improve behavioral and neuronal characteristics in Down syndrome by combating the overproduction of DYRK1A, a protein implicated in brain plasticity. When environmental factors create neurological disorders like FASD, EGCG was observed to modulate neurodevelopmental processes, modulate placental angiogenesis, and boost antioxidant defense. Catechins have been shown in animal models to mitigate age-related cognitive decline, which reduces neuroinflammation in the hippocampus, improves long-term outcomes and working memory, and increases neural plasticity. The authors comment, however, that more research is necessary and conclude that certain neurological and neurodegenerative illnesses with environmental and genetic roots can be treated and prevented with the help of catechins. Challenges exist in drawing homogenous outcomes for various groups due to the use of varying amounts of EGCG and green tea extracts in published research. [NPID: Catechins, antioxidant, neurodegenerative disorders, neurological disorders, multiple sclerosis, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, Down syndrome, aging, cognitive decline]
Year: 2021
