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The Role of the NRF2 Pathway in Maintaining and Improving Cognitive Function. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10082043. [PMID: 36009590 PMCID: PMC9405981 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10082043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (NRF2) is a redox-sensitive transcription factor that binds to the antioxidant response element consensus sequence, decreasing reactive oxygen species and regulating the transcription of a wide array of genes, including antioxidant and detoxifying enzymes, regulating genes involved in mitochondrial function and biogenesis. Moreover, NRF2 has been shown to directly regulate the expression of anti-inflammatory mediators reducing the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. In recent years, attention has turned to the role NRF2 plays in the brain in different diseases such Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease and others. This review focused on the evidence, derived in vitro, in vivo and from clinical trials, supporting a role for NRF2 activation in maintaining and improving cognitive function and how its activation can be used to elicit neuroprotection and lead to cognitive enhancement. The review also brings a critical discussion concerning the possible prophylactic and/or therapeutic use of NRF2 activators in treating cognitive impairment-related conditions.
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Zhang R, Zhang L, Li Z, Zhang P, Song H, Yao DA, Cao J, Zhang JJ. Green tea improves cognitive function through reducing AD-pathology and improving anti-oxidative stress capacity in Chinese middle-aged and elderly people. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:919766. [PMID: 35992609 PMCID: PMC9389233 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.919766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Numerous benefits of green tea have been reported. However, the effects of green tea on cognitive function remain disputable and the mechanism is still unclear. Objective: To investigate the relationship of green tea consumption with cognitive function and related blood biomarkers among Chinese middle-aged and elderly people. Methods: A total of 264 participants aged 50–70 years old were enrolled from Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University. They were interviewed about green tea consumption patterns and underwent neuropsychological tests covering five main cognitive domains to assess cognition including Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and the other 10 scales. Then we detected serum oxidative stress biomarkers including Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), Malondialdehyde (MDA), Glutathione Peroxidase (GPx), Glutathione Reductase (GR), and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) markers including β-amyloid (Aβ)40, Aβ42, and phosphorylated tau-181 (pTau181). Results: In the tea-consuming group, the MoCA scores (P = 0.000), Hopkins Verbal Learning Test (HVLT) immediate recall (P = 0.012) and delayed recall (P = 0.013) were significantly higher while Trail Making Test-B (P = 0.005) and Victoria Stroop test interference (P = 0.000) were lower. In terms of oxidative stress markers, the tea-consuming group had lower serum MDA levels (P = 0.002) and higher serum SOD (P = 0.005) and GPx (P = 0.007) levels. In terms of AD markers, serum pTau181 (P < 0.000), Aβ42 (P = 0.019) and total Aβ levels (P = 0.034) but not serum Aβ40 levels, were lower in the tea-consuming group. In the logistic regression analysis, there was a significant negative correlation between green tea consumption and cognitive impairment (OR = 0.26, 95 % CI 0.13 0.52 for high group). Conclusion: Regular green tea consumption is associated with better cognitive function among Chinese middle-aged and elderly people, mainly reflected in memory and executive function. It may achieve protective effects by reducing AD-related pathology and improving anti-oxidative stress capacity and higher levels of tea consumption have a stronger protective effect.
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Lorca C, Mulet M, Arévalo-Caro C, Sanchez MÁ, Perez A, Perrino M, Bach-Faig A, Aguilar-Martínez A, Vilella E, Gallart-Palau X, Serra A. Plant-derived nootropics and human cognition: A systematic review. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2022; 63:5521-5545. [PMID: 34978226 DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2021.2021137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Substances with modulatory capabilities on certain aspects of human cognition have been revered as nootropics from the dawn of time. The plant kingdom provides most of the currently available nootropics of natural origin. Here, in this systematic review, we aim to provide state-of-the-art information regarding proven and unproven effects of plant-derived nootropics (PDNs) on human cognition in conditions of health and disease. Six independent searches, one for each neurocognitive domain (NCD), were performed in parallel using three independent scientific library databases: PubMed, Cochrane and Scopus. Only scientific studies and systematic reviews with humans published between January 2000 and November 2021 were reviewed, and 256 papers were included. Ginkgo biloba was the most relevant nootropic regarding perceptual and motor functions. Bacopa monnieri improves language, learning and memory. Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) modulates anxiety and social-related cognitions. Caffeine enhances attention and executive functions. Together, the results from the compiled studies highlight the nootropic effects and the inconsistencies regarding PDNs that require further research.Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2021.2021137.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Lorca
- IMDEA-Food Research Institute, +Pec Proteomics, Campus of International Excellence UAM + CSIC, Old Cantoblanco Hospital, Madrid, Spain
- Biomedical Research Institute of Lleida Dr. Pifarré Foundation (IRB Lleida) - Neuroscience Area - University Hospital Arnau de Vilanova (HUAV) - School of Medicine, University of Lleida (UdL), Lleida, Spain
- Proteored - Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
| | - María Mulet
- Biomedical Research Institute of Lleida Dr. Pifarré Foundation (IRB Lleida) - Neuroscience Area - University Hospital Arnau de Vilanova (HUAV) - School of Medicine, University of Lleida (UdL), Lleida, Spain
| | - Catalina Arévalo-Caro
- Biomedical Research Institute of Lleida Dr. Pifarré Foundation (IRB Lleida) - Neuroscience Area - University Hospital Arnau de Vilanova (HUAV) - School of Medicine, University of Lleida (UdL), Lleida, Spain
| | - M Ángeles Sanchez
- IMDEA-Food Research Institute, +Pec Proteomics, Campus of International Excellence UAM + CSIC, Old Cantoblanco Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ainhoa Perez
- IMDEA-Food Research Institute, +Pec Proteomics, Campus of International Excellence UAM + CSIC, Old Cantoblanco Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | - María Perrino
- IMDEA-Food Research Institute, +Pec Proteomics, Campus of International Excellence UAM + CSIC, Old Cantoblanco Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | - Anna Bach-Faig
- FoodLab Research Group (2017SGR 83), Faculty of Health Sciences, Open University of Catalonia (UOC), Barcelona, Spain
- Food and Nutrition Area, Barcelona Official College of Pharmacists, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alicia Aguilar-Martínez
- FoodLab Research Group (2017SGR 83), Faculty of Health Sciences, Open University of Catalonia (UOC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elisabet Vilella
- Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata (HUIPM), Institut Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV), Reus, Spain
- Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Reus, Spain
- Centro de investigación Biomédica en Salud Mental CIBERSAM, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Xavier Gallart-Palau
- Biomedical Research Institute of Lleida Dr. Pifarré Foundation (IRB Lleida) - Neuroscience Area - University Hospital Arnau de Vilanova (HUAV) - School of Medicine, University of Lleida (UdL), Lleida, Spain
- Proteored - Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
- Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata (HUIPM), Institut Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV), Reus, Spain
- Centro de investigación Biomédica en Salud Mental CIBERSAM, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Aida Serra
- IMDEA-Food Research Institute, +Pec Proteomics, Campus of International Excellence UAM + CSIC, Old Cantoblanco Hospital, Madrid, Spain
- Biomedical Research Institute of Lleida Dr. Pifarré Foundation (IRB Lleida) - Neuroscience Area - University Hospital Arnau de Vilanova (HUAV) - School of Medicine, University of Lleida (UdL), Lleida, Spain
- Proteored - Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
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Therapeutic Effects of Catechins in Less Common Neurological and Neurodegenerative Disorders. Nutrients 2021; 13:nu13072232. [PMID: 34209677 PMCID: PMC8308206 DOI: 10.3390/nu13072232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, neurological and neurodegenerative disorders research has focused on altered molecular mechanisms in search of potential pharmacological targets, e.g., imbalances in mechanisms of response to oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, autophagy, proliferation, differentiation, migration, and neuronal plasticity, which occur in less common neurological and neurodegenerative pathologies (Huntington disease, multiple sclerosis, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, and Down syndrome). Here, we assess the effects of different catechins (particularly of epigalocatechin-3-gallate, EGCG) on these disorders, as well as their use in attenuating age-related cognitive decline in healthy individuals. Antioxidant and free radical scavenging properties of EGCG -due to their phenolic hydroxyl groups-, as well as its immunomodulatory, neuritogenic, and autophagic characteristics, makes this catechin a promising tool against neuroinflammation and microglia activation, common in these pathologies. Although EGCG promotes the inhibition of protein aggregation in experimental Huntington disease studies and improves the clinical severity in multiple sclerosis in animal models, its efficacy in humans remains controversial. EGCG may normalize DYRK1A (involved in neural plasticity) overproduction in Down syndrome, improving behavioral and neural phenotypes. In neurological pathologies caused by environmental agents, such as FASD, EGCG enhances antioxidant defense and regulates placental angiogenesis and neurodevelopmental processes. As demonstrated in animal models, catechins attenuate age-related cognitive decline, which results in improvements in long-term outcomes and working memory, reduction of hippocampal neuroinflammation, and enhancement of neuronal plasticity; however, further studies are needed. Catechins are valuable compounds for treating and preventing certain neurodegenerative and neurological diseases of genetic and environmental origin. However, the use of different doses of green tea extracts and EGCG makes it difficult to reach consistent conclusions for different populations.
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Sakurai K, Shen C, Ezaki Y, Inamura N, Fukushima Y, Masuoka N, Hisatsune T. Effects of Matcha Green Tea Powder on Cognitive Functions of Community-Dwelling Elderly Individuals. Nutrients 2020; 12:nu12123639. [PMID: 33256220 PMCID: PMC7760932 DOI: 10.3390/nu12123639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 11/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Matcha Green Tea Powder contains a variety of active ingredients beneficial to health, such as tea catechins, lutein and vitamin K. It is also known that these ingredients confer benefits upon cognitive functions of elderly people. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the relationship between a daily supplementation of Matcha and the change in cognitive functions of community-dwelling elderly people. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled 12-week trial was performed. Sixty-one participants were recruited and randomly assigned to receive test drink containing 3 g powder from fresh Matcha or placebo powder per day. Changes in cognitive function were assessed utilizing a psychometric test battery. Daily food intake was assessed by a Brief-type Self-administered Diet History Questionnaire (BDHQ). In the gender-specific analysis, a significant cognitive enhancement was observed in the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score in the active group of women. In dietary analysis, we found a significant inverse correlation between consumption of vitamin K in daily diet, excluding test drinks, and change in MoCA. The present study suggests that daily supplementation of Matcha Green Tea Powder has protective effects against cognitive decline in community-dwelling elderly women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keisuke Sakurai
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa 277-8562, Japan; (K.S.); (C.S.); (Y.E.); (N.M.)
| | - Chutong Shen
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa 277-8562, Japan; (K.S.); (C.S.); (Y.E.); (N.M.)
| | - Yuri Ezaki
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa 277-8562, Japan; (K.S.); (C.S.); (Y.E.); (N.M.)
| | - Noriko Inamura
- Community Health Promotion Laboratory, Mitsui Fudosan, Co., Ltd., Kashiwa 277-8519, Japan;
- Urban Design Center Kashiwanoha (UDCK), Kashiwa 277-0871, Japan
| | - Yoichi Fukushima
- Marketing & Communications Division, Nestle Japan Ltd., Tokyo 140-0002, Japan;
| | - Nobutaka Masuoka
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa 277-8562, Japan; (K.S.); (C.S.); (Y.E.); (N.M.)
| | - Tatsuhiro Hisatsune
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa 277-8562, Japan; (K.S.); (C.S.); (Y.E.); (N.M.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-4-7136-3632
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Li J, Romero-Garcia R, Suckling J, Feng L. Habitual tea drinking modulates brain efficiency: evidence from brain connectivity evaluation. Aging (Albany NY) 2019; 11:3876-3890. [PMID: 31209186 PMCID: PMC6594801 DOI: 10.18632/aging.102023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2019] [Accepted: 06/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The majority of tea studies have relied on neuropsychological measures, and much fewer on neuroimaging measures, especially for interregional connections. To date, there has been no exploration of the effect of tea on system-level brain networks. We recruited healthy older participants to two groups according to their history of tea drinking frequency and investigated both functional and structural networks to reveal the role of tea drinking on brain organization. The results showed that tea drinking gave rise to the more efficient structural organization, but had no significant beneficial effect on the global functional organization. The suppression of hemispheric asymmetry in the structural connectivity network was observed as a result of tea drinking. We did not observe any significant effects of tea drinking on the hemispheric asymmetry of the functional connectivity network. In addition, functional connectivity strength within the default mode network (DMN) was greater for the tea-drinking group, and coexistence of increasing and decreasing connective strengths was observed in the structural connectivity of the DMN. Our study offers the first evidence of the positive contribution of tea drinking to brain structure and suggests a protective effect on age-related decline in brain organisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junhua Li
- Laboratory for Brain-Bionic Intelligence and Computational Neuroscience, Wuyi University, Jiangmen, China
- Centre for Life Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom
| | - Rafael Romero-Garcia
- Brain Mapping Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Herchel Smith for Brain and Mind Sciences, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - John Suckling
- Brain Mapping Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Herchel Smith for Brain and Mind Sciences, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Lei Feng
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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