Using Multicountry Ecological and Observational Studies to Determine Dietary Risk Factors for Alzheimer's Disease

Equilibrium of Dietary Patterns Between Alzheimer's Disease Patients and Healthy People: A Comprehensive Analysis Using Multiple Factor Analysis and Classification Modeling

BACKGROUND

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a particular type of dementia that currently lacks a definitive treatment and cure. It is possible to reduce the risk of developing AD and mitigate its severity through modifications to one's lifestyle, regular diet, and alcohol-drinking habits.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is to examine the daily dietary patterns of individuals with AD compared to healthy controls, with a focus on nutritional balance and its impact on AD.

METHODS

This study incorporated multiple-factor analysis (MFA) to evaluate dietary patterns and employed Random Forest (RF) classifier and Sparse Logistic Regression (SLR) for Variable Importance analysis to identify food items significantly associated with AD.

RESULTS

MFA revealed trends in the data and a strong correlation (Lg = 0.92, RV = 0.65) between the daily consumption of processed food and meat items in AD patients. In contrast, no significant relationship was found for any daily consumed food categories within the healthy control (HC) group. Food items such as meat pie, hamburger, ham, sausages, beef, capsicum, and cabbage were identified as important variables associated with AD in RF and SLR analyses.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings from MFA indicated that the diversity or equilibrium of daily diet might play a potential role in AD development. RF and SLR classifications exhibit among the processed foods, especially deli meats and food made with meat items, are associated with AD.

Associations of dietary cholesterol and fat, blood lipids, and risk for dementia in older women vary by APOE genotype

INTRODUCTION

Whether apolipoprotein E's (APOE's) involvement in lipid metabolism contributes to Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk remains unknown.

METHODS

Incident probable dementia and cognitive impairment (probable dementia+mild cognitive impairment) were analyzed in relation to baseline serum lipids (total, low-density lipoprotein [LDL], high-density lipoprotein [HDL], non-HDL cholesterol, total-to-HDL, LDL-to-HDL, remnant cholesterol, and triglycerides) using Mendelian randomization in 5358 postmenopausal women from the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study. We also examined associations of baseline dietary cholesterol and fat with lipids based on APOE status.

RESULTS

After an average of 11.13 years, less favorable lipid levels related to greater dementia and cognitive impairment risk. Dementia (odds ratio [OR] = 3.13; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.31 to 4.24) and cognitive impairment (OR = 2.38; 95% CI: 1.85 to 3.06) risk were greatest in relation to higher remnant cholesterol levels. Greater cholesterol consumption related to poorer lipids in APOE4+ compared to APOE3 carriers.

DISCUSSION

APOE4+ carriers consuming more cholesterol had less favorable lipids, which were associated with greater dementia and cognitive impairment risk.

HIGHLIGHTS

Less favorable serum lipids were associated with higher dementia incidence. Mendelian randomization findings suggest causality between lipids and dementia. Lipid levels in older women may be clinical indicators of dementia risk. APOE4 carriers had poorest lipid profiles in relation to cholesterol consumption. APOE risk for dementia may be modifiable through lipid management.

Transmission of Alzheimer's disease-associated microbiota dysbiosis and its impact on cognitive function: evidence from mice and patients

Spouses of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients are at a higher risk of developing incidental dementia. However, the causes and underlying mechanism of this clinical observation remain largely unknown. One possible explanation is linked to microbiota dysbiosis, a condition that has been associated with AD. However, it remains unclear whether gut microbiota dysbiosis can be transmitted from AD individuals to non-AD individuals and contribute to the development of AD pathogenesis and cognitive impairment. We, therefore, set out to perform both animal studies and clinical investigation by co-housing wild-type mice and AD transgenic mice, analyzing microbiota via 16S rRNA gene sequencing, measuring short-chain fatty acid amounts, and employing behavioral test, mass spectrometry, site-mutations and other methods. The present study revealed that co-housing between wild-type mice and AD transgenic mice or administrating feces of AD transgenic mice to wild-type mice resulted in AD-associated gut microbiota dysbiosis, Tau phosphorylation, and cognitive impairment in the wild-type mice. Gavage with Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium restored these changes in the wild-type mice. The oral and gut microbiota of AD patient partners resembled that of AD patients but differed from healthy controls, indicating the transmission of microbiota. The underlying mechanism of these findings includes that the butyric acid-mediated acetylation of GSK3β at lysine 15 regulated its phosphorylation at serine 9, consequently impacting Tau phosphorylation. Pending confirmative studies, these results provide insight into a potential link between the transmission of AD-associated microbiota dysbiosis and development of cognitive impairment, which underscore the need for further research in this area.

Alzheimer's Disease Treatment: The Search for a Breakthrough

As the search for modalities to cure Alzheimer's disease (AD) has made slow progress, research has now turned to innovative pathways involving neural and peripheral inflammation and neuro-regeneration. Widely used AD treatments provide only symptomatic relief without changing the disease course. The recently FDA-approved anti-amyloid drugs, aducanumab and lecanemab, have demonstrated unclear real-world efficacy with a substantial side effect profile. Interest is growing in targeting the early stages of AD before irreversible pathologic changes so that cognitive function and neuronal viability can be preserved. Neuroinflammation is a fundamental feature of AD that involves complex relationships among cerebral immune cells and pro-inflammatory cytokines, which could be altered pharmacologically by AD therapy. Here, we provide an overview of the manipulations attempted in pre-clinical experiments. These include inhibition of microglial receptors, attenuation of inflammation and enhancement of toxin-clearing autophagy. In addition, modulation of the microbiome-brain-gut axis, dietary changes, and increased mental and physical exercise are under evaluation as ways to optimize brain health. As the scientific and medical communities work together, new solutions may be on the horizon to slow or halt AD progression.

Neurodegenerative and Neurodevelopmental Diseases and the Gut-Brain Axis: The Potential of Therapeutic Targeting of the Microbiome

The human gut microbiome contains the largest number of bacteria in the body and has the potential to greatly influence metabolism, not only locally but also systemically. There is an established link between a healthy, balanced, and diverse microbiome and overall health. When the gut microbiome becomes unbalanced (dysbiosis) through dietary changes, medication use, lifestyle choices, environmental factors, and ageing, this has a profound effect on our health and is linked to many diseases, including lifestyle diseases, metabolic diseases, inflammatory diseases, and neurological diseases. While this link in humans is largely an association of dysbiosis with disease, in animal models, a causative link can be demonstrated. The link between the gut and the brain is particularly important in maintaining brain health, with a strong association between dysbiosis in the gut and neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental diseases. This link suggests not only that the gut microbiota composition can be used to make an early diagnosis of neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental diseases but also that modifying the gut microbiome to influence the microbiome-gut-brain axis might present a therapeutic target for diseases that have proved intractable, with the aim of altering the trajectory of neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, autism spectrum disorder, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, among others. There is also a microbiome-gut-brain link to other potentially reversible neurological diseases, such as migraine, post-operative cognitive dysfunction, and long COVID, which might be considered models of therapy for neurodegenerative disease. The role of traditional methods in altering the microbiome, as well as newer, more novel treatments such as faecal microbiome transplants and photobiomodulation, are discussed.

Transmission of Alzheimer's Disease-Associated Microbiota Dysbiosis and its Impact on Cognitive Function: Evidence from Mouse Models and Human Patients

Spouses of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients are at higher risk of developing AD dementia, but the reasons and underlying mechanism are unknown. One potential factor is gut microbiota dysbiosis, which has been associated with AD. However, it remains unclear whether the gut microbiota dysbiosis can be transmitted to non-AD individuals and contribute to the development of AD pathogenesis and cognitive impairment. The present study found that co-housing wild-type mice with AD transgenic mice or giving them AD transgenic mice feces caused AD-associated gut microbiota dysbiosis, Tau phosphorylation, and cognitive impairment. Gavage with Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium restored these changes. The oral and gut microbiota of AD patient partners resembled that of AD patients but differed from healthy controls, indicating the transmission of oral and gut microbiota and its impact on cognitive function. The underlying mechanism of these findings includes that the butyric acid-mediated acetylation of GSK3β at lysine 15 regulated its phosphorylation at serine 9, consequently impacting Tau phosphorylation. These results provide insight into a potential link between gut microbiota dysbiosis and AD and underscore the need for further research in this area.

Bioactive Compounds of the Mediterranean Diet as Nutritional Support to Fight Neurodegenerative Disease

Neurodegenerative disorders are a widespread cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, characterized by neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and neuronal depletion. They include selective malfunction and progressive loss of neurons, glial cells, and neural networks in the brain and spinal cord. There is an urgent need to develop new and more effective therapeutic strategies to combat these devastating diseases because, today, there is no treatment that can cure degenerative diseases; however, we have many symptomatic treatments. Current nutritional approaches are beginning to reflect a fundamental change in our understanding of health. The Mediterranean diet may have a protective effect on the neurodegenerative process because it is rich in antioxidants, fiber, and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Increasing knowledge regarding the impact of diet on regulation at the genetic and molecular levels is changing the way we consider the role of nutrition, resulting in new dietary strategies. Natural products, thanks to their bioactive compounds, have recently undergone extensive exploration and study for their therapeutic potential for a variety of diseases. Targeting simultaneous multiple mechanisms of action and a neuroprotection approach with the diet could prevent cell death and restore function to damaged neurons. For these reasons, this review will be focused on the therapeutic potential of natural products and the associations between the Mediterranean-style diet (MD), neurodegenerative diseases, and markers and mechanisms of neurodegeneration.

The gut microbiome in Alzheimer's disease: what we know and what remains to be explored

Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common cause of dementia, results in a sustained decline in cognition. There are currently few effective disease modifying therapies for AD, but insights into the mechanisms that mediate the onset and progression of disease may lead to new, effective therapeutic strategies. Amyloid beta oligomers and plaques, tau aggregates, and neuroinflammation play a critical role in neurodegeneration and impact clinical AD progression. The upstream modulators of these pathological features have not been fully clarified, but recent evidence indicates that the gut microbiome (GMB) may have an influence on these features and therefore may influence AD progression in human patients. In this review, we summarize studies that have identified alterations in the GMB that correlate with pathophysiology in AD patients and AD mouse models. Additionally, we discuss findings with GMB manipulations in AD models and potential GMB-targeted therapeutics for AD. Lastly, we discuss diet, sleep, and exercise as potential modifiers of the relationship between the GMB and AD and conclude with future directions and recommendations for further studies of this topic.

Diet's Role in Modifying Risk of Alzheimer's Disease: History and Present Understanding

Diet is an important nonpharmacological risk-modifying factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). The approaches used here to assess diet's role in the risk of AD include multi-country ecological studies, prospective and cross-sectional observational studies, and laboratory studies. Ecological studies have identified fat, meat, and obesity from high-energy diets as important risk factors for AD and reported that AD rates peak about 15-20 years after national dietary changes. Observational studies have compared the Western dietary pattern with those of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), Mediterranean (MedDi), and Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diets. Those studies identified AD risk factors including higher consumption of saturated and total fats, meat, and ultraprocessed foods and a lower risk of AD with higher consumption of fruits, legumes, nuts, omega-3 fatty acids, vegetables, and whole grains. Diet-induced factors associated with a significant risk of AD include inflammation, insulin resistance, oxidative stress, elevated homocysteine, dietary advanced glycation end products, and trimethylamine N-oxide. The molecular mechanisms by which dietary bioactive components and specific foods affect risk of AD are discussed. Given most countries' entrenched food supply systems, the upward trends of AD rates would be hard to reverse. However, for people willing and able, a low-animal product diet with plenty of anti-inflammatory, low-glycemic load foods may be helpful.

Plasma glycocholic acid and linoleic acid identified as potential mediators of mitochondrial bioenergetics in Alzheimer's dementia

Mitochondrial bioenergetic alterations occur in the brain and peripheral cells of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study focuses on plasma circulating factors, namely lipids, as mediators of systemic bioenergetic differences in participants with normal cognition (NC), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and dementia due to probable AD (DEM). We examined bioenergetic differences across cognitive groups by measuring the mitochondrial respiration of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 37 participants (12 NC, 12 MCI, 13 DEM). PBMC bioenergetics were lower in the DEM group compared to the NC group. To determine whether circulating factors can mediate bioenergetic differences according to cognitive status, we exposed naïve neuronal Neuro-2a (N2a) cells to plasma from each participant in vitro. N2a bioenergetics were lower following plasma exposure from DEM compared to NC group participants. Notably, PBMC Max and N2a Max positively correlated, suggesting that circulating factors modulate the bioenergetics of naïve N2a cells according to the bioenergetic capacity of donor primary PBMCs. To identify lipid metabolites that may contribute to bioenergetic differences between cognitive groups, we performed liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to assess the abundance of individual lipid species and correlated PBMC and N2a bioenergetics. Glycocholic acid (GCA) positively correlated with PBMC and N2a bioenergetics, while linoleic acid (LA) was negatively correlated. These data suggest that GCA and LA may contribute to the stimulatory and inhibitory bioenergetics effects related to cognitive status. Post hoc analyses revealed that GCA abundance was lower by 52.9% in the DEM group compared to the NC group and that LA abundance was higher by 55.7% in the DEM group compared to the NC group. To validate these findings, we examined the abundance of GCA and LA in the larger, more diverse, parent cohort (n = 378) and found similar results; GCA abundance was lower by 29.7% in the DEM group compared to the NC group and LA abundance was higher by 17.8% in the DEM group compared to the NC group. These data demonstrate that circulating factors have a direct effect on mitochondrial bioenergetics and that individual circulating factors identified to be associated with mitochondrial function are differentially expressed in patients with dementia.

Genome-wide DNA methylation status of Mongolians exhibits signs of cellular stress response related to their nomadic lifestyle

Background

Epigenetics is crucial for connecting environmental stresses with physiological responses in humans. Mongolia, where nomadic livestock pastoralism has been the primal livelihood, has a higher prevalence of various chronic diseases than the surrounding East Asian regions, which are more suitable for crop farming. The genes related to dietary stress and pathogenesis of related disorders may have varying epigenetic statuses among the human populations with diverse dietary cultures. Hence, to understand such epigenetic differences, we conducted a comparative analysis of genome-wide DNA methylation of Mongolians and crop-farming East Asians.

Methods

Genome-wide DNA methylation status of peripheral blood cells (PBCs) from 23 Mongolian adults and 24 Thai adults was determined using the Infinium Human Methylation 450K arrays and analyzed in combination with previously published 450K data of 20 Japanese and 8 Chinese adults. CpG sites/regions differentially methylated between Mongolians and crop-farming East Asians were detected using a linear model adjusted for sex, age, ethnicity, and immune cell heterogeneity on RnBeads software.

Results

Of the quality-controlled 389,454 autosomal CpG sites, 223 CpG sites were significantly differentially methylated among Mongolians and the four crop farming East Asian populations (false discovery rate < 0.05). Analyses focused on gene promoter regions revealed that PM20D1 (peptidase M20 domain containing 1), which is involved in mitochondrial uncoupling and various processes, including cellular protection from reactive oxygen species (ROS) and thermogenesis, was the top differentially methylated gene. Moreover, gene ontology enrichment analysis revealed that biological processes related to ROS metabolism were overrepresented among the top 1% differentially methylated genes. The promoter regions of these genes were generally hypermethylated in Mongolians, suggesting that the metabolic pathway detoxifying ROS might be globally suppressed in Mongolians, resulting in the high susceptibility of this population to various chronic diseases.

Conclusions

This study showed a significantly diverse DNA methylation status among Mongolians and crop-farming East Asians. Further, we found an association between the differentially methylated genes and various metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases. Knowledge of the epigenetic regulators might help in proper understanding, treatment, and control of such disorders, and physiological adaptation in the future.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40101-022-00305-0.

Dementia and Diet, Methodological and Statistical Issues: A Pilot Study

There is conflicting information on the relationship between diet and dementia. The purposes of this pilot study were twofold. First, to use publicly available data regarding food consumption (United Kingdom Family Food), dementia, risk and demographic factors to find relationships between the consumption of various foods to dementia prevalence. The second purpose was to identify elements of study design that had important effects on the results. Multiple analyses were performed on different data sets derived from the existing data. Statistical testing began with univariate correlation analyses corrected for multiple testing followed by global tests for significance. Subsequently, a number of multivariate techniques were applied including stepwise linear regression, cluster regression, regularized regression, and principal components analysis. Permutation tests and simulations highlighted the strength and weakness of each technique. The univariate analyses demonstrated that the consumption of certain foods was highly associated with the prevalence of dementia. However, because of the complexity of the data set and the high degree of correlation between variables, different multivariate analyses yielded different results, explainable by the correlations. Some factors identified as having potential associations were the consumption of rice, sugar, fruit, potatoes, meat products and fish. However, within a given dietary category there were often a number of different elements with different relations to dementia. This pilot study demonstrates some critical elements for a future study: (1) dietary factors must be very narrowly defined, (2) large numbers of cases are needed to support multivariable analyses. (3) Multiple statistical methods along with simulations must be used to confirm results.

Natural Therapeutics in Aid of Treating Alzheimer's Disease: A Green Gateway Toward Ending Quest for Treating Neurological Disorders

The current scientific community is facing a daunting challenge to unravel reliable natural compounds with realistic potential to treat neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). The reported compounds/drugs mostly synthetic deemed the reliability and therapeutic potential largely due to their complexity and off-target issues. The natural products from nutraceutical compounds emerge as viable preventive therapeutics to fill the huge gap in treating neurological disorders. Considering that Alzheimer's disease is a multifactorial disease, natural compounds offer the advantage of a multitarget approach, tagging different molecular sites in the human brain, as compared with the single-target activity of most of the drugs so far used to treat Alzheimer's disease. A wide range of plant extracts and phytochemicals reported to possess the therapeutic potential to Alzheimer's disease includes curcumin, resveratrol, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, morin, delphinidins, quercetin, luteolin, oleocanthal, and other phytochemicals such as huperzine A, limonoids, and azaphilones. Reported targets of these natural compounds include inhibition of acetylcholinesterase, amyloid senile plaques, oxidation products, inflammatory pathways, specific brain receptors, etc. We tenaciously aimed to review the in-depth potential of natural products and their therapeutic applications against Alzheimer's disease, with a special focus on a diversity of medicinal plants and phytocompounds and their mechanism of action against Alzheimer's disease pathologies. We strongly believe that the medicinal plants and phytoconstituents alone or in combination with other compounds would be effective treatments against Alzheimer's disease with lesser side effects as compared to currently available treatments.

Bioactive Compounds and Their Derivatives: An Insight into Prospective Phytotherapeutic Approach against Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common neurodegenerative brain disorder that causes cellular response alterations, such as impaired cholinergic mechanism, amyloid-beta (Aβ) AD aggregation, neuroinflammation, and several other pathways. AD is still the most prevalent form of dementia and affects many individuals across the globe. The exact cause of the disorder is obscure. There are yet no effective medications for halting, preventing, or curing AD's progress. Plenty of natural products are isolated from several sources and analyzed in preclinical and clinical settings for neuroprotective effects in preventing and treating AD. In addition, natural products and their derivatives have been promising in treating and preventing AD. Natural bioactive compounds play an active modulatory role in the pathological molecular mechanisms of AD development. This review focuses on natural products from plant sources and their derivatives that have demonstrated neuroprotective activities and maybe promising to treat and prevent AD. In addition, this article summarizes the literature pertaining to natural products as agents in the treatment of AD. Rapid metabolism, nonspecific targeting, low solubility, lack of BBB permeability, and limited bioavailability are shortcomings of most bioactive molecules in treating AD. We can use nanotechnology and nanocarriers based on different types of approaches.

The Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis in Alzheimer's Disease: A Review of Taxonomic Alterations and Potential Avenues for Interventions

OBJECTIVE

The gut microbiome is a complex community of microorganisms that inhabit the gastrointestinal tract. The microbiota-gut-brain axis encompasses a bidirectional communication system that allows the gut to influence the brain via neural, endocrine, immune, and metabolic signaling. Differences in the gut microbiome have been associated with psychiatric and neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's Disease (ad). Understanding these ad-associated alterations may offer novel insight into the pathology and treatment of ad.

METHOD

We conducted a narrative review of clinical studies investigating the gut microbiome in ad, organizing the results by phyla to understand the biological contributions of the gut microbial community to ad pathology and clinical features. We also reviewed randomized clinical trials of interventions targeting the microbiome to ameliorate ad symptoms and biomarkers.

RESULTS

Alpha diversity is reduced in patients with ad. Within Firmicutes, taxa that produce beneficial metabolites are reduced in ad, including Clostridiaceae, Lachnospiraceae, Ruminococcus, and Eubacterium. Within Bacteroidetes, findings were mixed, with studies showing either reduced or increased abundance of Bacteroides in mild cognitive impairment or ad patients. Proteobacteria that produce toxins tend to be increased in ad patients, including Escherichia/Shigella. A Mediterranean-ketogenic dietary intervention significantly increased beneficial short-chain fatty acids and taxa that were inversely correlated with changes in ad pathological markers. Probiotic supplementation with Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp. improved cognitive function and reduced inflammatory and metabolic markers in patients with ad.

CONCLUSIONS

The gut microbiome may provide insight into ad pathology and be a novel target for intervention. Potential therapeutics include probiotics and dietary intervention.

Taiwanese Vegetarians Are Associated with Lower Dementia Risk: A Prospective Cohort Study

The number of people living with dementia globally is increasing rapidly, and there is no effective therapy. Dietary pattern is one important risk factor for the development and progression of dementia. We undertake this study to determine whether Taiwanese vegetarian diet in midlife affects dementia incidence in later years in a prospective cohort. We followed 5710 participants (average age less than 60) in the Tzu Chi Vegetarian Study (TCVS). We started recruiting in 2005 and followed until the end of 2014 when the database changed from ICD-9-CM to ICD-10-CM codes. The incidence of dementia was obtained through linkage to the National Health Insurance Research Database. We used Cox proportional hazards regression to estimate the hazard ratio of dementia between vegetarians and nonvegetarians. There were 121 cases of dementia (37 vegetarians and 84 nonvegetarians) diagnosed. Vegetarians were associated with reduced risk of clinically overt dementia compared with nonvegetarians (hazard ratio = 0.671, confidence interval: 0.452−0.996, p < 0.05) after adjusting for gender, age, smoking, drinking, education level, marriage, regular exercise, and comorbidities with stepwise regression.

Potential Role of Heterocyclic Aromatic Amines in Neurodegeneration

Heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) are mainly formed in the pyrolysis process during high-temperature cooking of meat. Meat consumption is very typical of the western diet, and the amount of meat consumption in the eastern countries is growing rapidly; HAAs represents widespread exposure. HAAs are classified as possible human carcinogens; numerous epidemiological studies have demonstrated regular consumption of meat with HAAs as risk factor for cancers. Specific HAAs have received major attention. For example, 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b] pyridine has been extensively studied as a genotoxicant and mutagen, with emergent literature on neurotoxicity. Harmane has been extensively studied for a role in essential tremors and potentially Parkinson's disease (PD). Harmane levels have been demonstrated to be elevated in blood and brain in essential tremor patients. Meat consumption has been implicated in the etiology of neurodegenerative diseases; however, the role of toxicants formed during meat preparation has not been studied. Epidemiological studies are currently examining the association between HAAs and risk of neurodegenerative diseases such as essential tremors and PD. Studies from our laboratory and others have provided strong evidence that HAA exposure produces PD and Alzheimer's disease-relevant neurotoxicity in cellular and animal models. In this review, we summarize and critically evaluate previous studies on HAA-induced neurotoxicity and the molecular basis of potential neurotoxic effects of HAAs. The available studies provide strong support for the premise that HAAs may impact neurological function and that addressing gaps in understanding of adverse neurological outcomes is critical to determine whether these compounds are modifiable risk factors.

Dietary Regulation of Gut-Brain Axis in Alzheimer's Disease: Importance of Microbiota Metabolites

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that impacts 45 million people worldwide and is ranked as the 6th top cause of death among all adults by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While genetics is an important risk factor for the development of AD, environment and lifestyle are also contributing risk factors. One such environmental factor is diet, which has emerged as a key influencer of AD development/progression as well as cognition. Diets containing large quantities of saturated/trans-fats, refined carbohydrates, limited intake of fiber, and alcohol are associated with cognitive dysfunction while conversely diets low in saturated/trans-fats (i.e., bad fats), high mono/polyunsaturated fats (i.e., good fats), high in fiber and polyphenols are associated with better cognitive function and memory in both humans and animal models. Mechanistically, this could be the direct consequence of dietary components (lipids, vitamins, polyphenols) on the brain, but other mechanisms are also likely to be important. Diet is considered to be the single greatest factor influencing the intestinal microbiome. Diet robustly influences the types and function of micro-organisms (called microbiota) that reside in the gastrointestinal tract. Availability of different types of nutrients (from the diet) will favor or disfavor the abundance and function of certain groups of microbiota. Microbiota are highly metabolically active and produce many metabolites and other factors that can affect the brain including cognition and the development and clinical progression of AD. This review summarizes data to support a model in which microbiota metabolites influence brain function and AD.

Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Other Lifestyle Factors in the Prevention of Cognitive Decline and Dementia

Multiple factors combined are currently recognized as contributors to cognitive decline. The main independent risk factor for cognitive impairment and dementia is advanced age followed by other determinants such as genetic, socioeconomic, and environmental factors, including nutrition and physical activity. In the next decades, a rise in dementia cases is expected due largely to the aging of the world population. There are no hitherto effective pharmaceutical therapies to treat age-associated cognitive impairment and dementia, which underscores the crucial role of prevention. A relationship among diet, physical activity, and other lifestyle factors with cognitive function has been intensively studied with mounting evidence supporting the role of these determinants in the development of cognitive decline and dementia, which is a chief cause of disability globally. Several dietary patterns, foods, and nutrients have been investigated in this regard, with some encouraging and other disappointing results. This review presents the current evidence for the effects of dietary patterns, dietary components, some supplements, physical activity, sleep patterns, and social engagement on the prevention or delay of the onset of age-related cognitive decline and dementia.

Brain region-specific disruption of mitochondrial bioenergetics in cynomolgus macaques fed a Western versus a Mediterranean diet

Mitochondrial dysfunction is evident in diseases affecting cognition and metabolism such as Alzheimer's disease and type 2 diabetes. Human studies of brain mitochondrial function are limited to postmortem tissue, preventing the assessment of bioenergetics by respirometry. Here, we investigated the effect of two diets on mitochondrial bioenergetics in three brain regions: the prefrontal cortex (PFC), the entorhinal cortex (ERC), and the cerebellum (CB), using middle-aged nonhuman primates. Eighteen female cynomolgus macaques aged 12.3 ± 0.7 yr were fed either a Mediterranean diet that is associated with healthy outcomes or a Western diet that is associated with poor cognitive and metabolic outcomes. Average bioenergetic capacity within each brain region did not differ between diets. Distinct brain regions have different metabolic requirements related to their function and disease susceptibility. Therefore, we also examined differences in bioenergetic capacity between brain regions. Mitochondria isolated from animals fed a Mediterranean diet maintained distinct differences in mitochondrial bioenergetics between brain regions, whereas animals fed the Western diet had diminished distinction in bioenergetics between brain regions. Notably, fatty acid β-oxidation was not affected between regions in animals fed a Western diet. In addition, bioenergetics in animals fed a Western diet had positive associations with fasting blood glucose and insulin levels in PFC and ERC mitochondria but not in CB mitochondria. Altogether, these data indicate that a Western diet disrupts bioenergetic patterns across brain regions and that circulating blood glucose and insulin levels in Western-diet fed animals influence bioenergetics in brain regions susceptible to Alzheimer's disease and type 2 diabetes.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We show that compared with cynomolgus macaques fed a Mediterranean diet, a Western diet resulted in diminished bioenergetic pattern between brain regions related to blood glucose and insulin levels, specifically in brain regions susceptible to neurodegeneration and diabetes. In addition, fatty acid metabolism not directly linked to the TCA cycle and glucose metabolism did not show differences in bioenergetics due to diet.

The Influence of Nutrition in Alzheimer's Disease: Neuroinflammation and the Microbiome vs. Transmissible Prion

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a primary, progressive, neurodegenerative disorder. Many risk factors for the development of AD have been investigated, including nutrition. Although it has been proven that nutrition plays a role in AD, the precise mechanisms through which nutrition exerts its influence remain undefined. The object of this study is to address this issue by elucidating some of the mechanisms through which nutrition interacts with AD. This work is a qualitative systematic bibliographic review of the current literature searchable on various available databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Our evidence comprises 31 articles selected after a systematic search process. Patients suffering with AD present a characteristic microbiome that promotes changes in microglia generating a proinflammatory state. Many similarities exist between AD and prion diseases, both in terms of symptoms and in the molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis. Changes in the composition of the gut microbiome due to dietary habits could be one of the environmental factors affecting the development of AD; however, this is probably not the only factor. Similarly, the mechanism for self-propagation of beta-amyloid seen in AD is similar to that seen in prions.

A Specialized Nutritional Formulation Prevents Hippocampal Glial Activation and Memory Impairment Induced by Amyloid-β Oligomers in Mice

BACKGROUND

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly and is characterized by progressive cognitive decline. Considerable evidence supports an important role of amyloid-β oligomers (AβOs) in the pathogenesis of AD, including the induction of aberrant glial activation and memory impairment.

OBJECTIVE

We have investigated the protective actions of a nutritional formulation, denoted AZ formulation, on glial activation and memory deficits induced by intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) infusion of AβOs in mice.

METHODS

Two-month-old male mice were treated orally with AZ formulation or isocaloric placebo for 30 consecutive days. Microglial and astrocytic activation were analyzed by immunohistochemistry in the hippocampus 10 days after i.c.v. infusion of AβOs (n = 5 mice per experimental condition). Memory loss was assessed by the novel object recognition (NOR) test (n = 6-10 mice per experimental condition).

RESULTS

Oral treatment with the AZ formulation prevented hippocampal microglial and astrocytic activation induced by i.c.v. infusion of AβOs. The AZ formulation further protected mice from AβO-induced memory impairment.

CONCLUSION

Results suggest that administration of the AZ formulation may comprise a promising preventative and non-pharmacological strategy to reduce brain inflammation and attenuate memory impairment in AD.

Fatty acids and beyond: Age and Alzheimer's disease related changes in lipids reveal the neuro-nutraceutical potential of lipids in cognition

Lipids are essential in maintaining brain function, and lipid profiles have been reported to be altered in aged and Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains as compared to healthy mature brains. Both age and AD share common metabolic hallmarks such as increased oxidative stress and perturbed metabolic function, and age remains the most strongly correlated risk factor for AD, a neurodegenerative disease. A major accompanying pathological symptom of these conditions is cognitive impairment, which is linked with changes in lipid metabolism. Thus, nutraceuticals that affect brain lipid metabolism or lipid levels as a whole have the potential to ameliorate cognitive decline. Lipid analyses and lipidomic studies reveal changes in specific lipid types with aging and AD, which can identify potential lipid-based nutraceuticals to restore the brain to a healthy lipid phenotype. The brain lipid profile can be influenced directly with dietary administration of lipids themselves, although because of synergistic effects of nutrients it may be more useful to consider a multi-component diet rather than single nutrient supplementation. Gut microbiota also serve as a source of beneficial lipids, and the value of treatments that manipulate the composition of gut microbiome should not be ignored. Lastly, instead of direct supplementation, compounds that affect pathways involved with lipid metabolism should also be considered as a way of manipulating lipid levels to improve cognition. In this review, we briefly discuss the role of lipids in the brain, the changing lipid profile in AD, current research on lipid-based nutraceuticals and their therapeutic potential to combat cognitive impairment.

Ketogenic Diets and Chronic Disease: Weighing the Benefits Against the Risks

Very-low-carbohydrate ketogenic diets have been long been used to reduce seizure frequency and more recently have been promoted for a variety of health conditions, including obesity, diabetes, and liver disease. Ketogenic diets may provide short-term improvement and aid in symptom management for some chronic diseases. Such diets affect diet quality, typically increasing intake of foods linked to chronic disease risk and decreasing intake of foods found to be protective in epidemiological studies. This review examines the effects of ketogenic diets on common chronic diseases, as well as their impact on diet quality and possible risks associated with their use. Given often-temporary improvements, unfavorable effects on dietary intake, and inadequate data demonstrating long-term safety, for most individuals, the risks of ketogenic diets may outweigh the benefits.

Cross-Reactivity and Sequence Homology Between Alpha-Synuclein and Food Products: A Step Further for Parkinson's Disease Synucleinopathy

INTRODUCTION

Parkinson's disease is characterized by non-motor/motor dysfunction midbrain neuronal death and α-synuclein deposits. The accepted hypothesis is that unknown environmental factors induce α-synuclein accumulation in the brain via the enteric nervous system.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Monoclonal antibodies made against recombinant α-synuclein protein or α-synuclein epitope 118-123 were applied to the antigens of 180 frequently consumed food products. The specificity of those antibody-antigen reactions was confirmed by serial dilution and inhibition studies. The Basic Local Alignment Search Tool sequence matching program was used for sequence homologies.

RESULTS

While the antibody made against recombinant α-synuclein reacted significantly with 86/180 specific food antigens, the antibody made against α-synuclein epitope 118-123 reacted with only 32/180 tested food antigens. The food proteins with the greatest number of peptides that matched with α-synuclein were yeast, soybean, latex hevein, wheat germ agglutinin, potato, peanut, bean agglutinin, pea lectin, shrimp, bromelain, and lentil lectin. Conclusions: The cross-reactivity and sequence homology between α-synuclein and frequently consumed foods, reinforces the autoimmune aspect of Parkinson's disease. It is hypothesized that luminal food peptides that share cross-reactive epitopes with human α-synuclein and have molecular similarity with brain antigens are involved in the synucleinopathy. The findings deserve further confirmation by extensive research.

Dual-target compounds for Alzheimer's disease: Natural and synthetic AChE and BACE-1 dual-inhibitors and their structure-activity relationship (SAR)

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease and represents the major cause of dementia worldwide. Currently, there are no available treatments capable to deliver disease-modifying effects, and the available drugs can only alleviate the symptoms. The exact pathology of AD is not yet fully understood and several hallmarks such as the presence of amyloid-β (Aβ) senile plaques, neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) as well as the loss of cholinergic function have been associated to AD. Distinct pharmacological targets have been validated to address AD, with acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and β-secretase-1 (BACE-1) being two of the most explored ones. A great deal of research has been devoted to the development of new AChE and BACE-1 effective inhibitors, tackled separately or in combination of both. The multi-factorial nature of AD conducted to the development of multi-target directed ligands (MTDLs), defined as single molecules capable to modulate more than one biological target, as an alternative approach to the old paradigm one-target one-drug. In this context, this review describes a collection of natural and synthetic compounds with dual-inhibitory properties towards both AChE and BACE-1 in the MTDLs context. Furthermore, this review also provides a critical comprehensive analysis of structure-activity relationships (SAR) of the synthetic compounds.

Environmental exposures and the etiopathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease: The potential role of BACE1 as a critical neurotoxic target

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a major public health crisis due to devastating cognitive symptoms, a lack of curative treatments, and increasing prevalence. Most cases are sporadic (>95% of cases) after the age of 65 years, implicating an important role of environmental factors in disease pathogenesis. Environmental neurotoxicants have been implicated in neurodegenerative disorders including Parkinson's Disease and AD. Animal models of AD and in vitro studies have shed light on potential neuropathological mechanisms, yet the biochemical and molecular underpinnings of AD-relevant environmental neurotoxicity remain poorly understood. Beta-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) is a potentially critical pathogenic target of environmentally induced neurotoxicity. BACE1 clearly has a critical role in AD pathophysiology: It is required for amyloid beta production and expression and activity of BACE1 are increased in the AD brain. Though the literature on BACE1 in response to environmental insults is limited, current studies, along with extensive AD neurobiology literature suggest that BACE1 deserves attention as an important neurotoxic target. Here, we critically review research on environmental neurotoxicants such as metals, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, polyfluoroalkyl substances, heterocyclic aromatic amines, advanced glycation end products, and acrolein that modulate BACE1 and potential mechanisms of action. Though more research is needed to clearly understand whether BACE1 is a critical mediator of AD-relevant neurotoxicity, available reports provide convincing evidence that BACE1 is altered by environmental risk factors associated with AD pathology, implying that BACE1 inhibition and its use as a biomarker should be considered in AD management and research.

Is milk and dairy intake a preventive factor for elderly cognition (dementia and Alzheimer's)? A quality review of cohort surveys

Milk and dairy (M&D) is a longstanding human food with widespread use. Many studies showed the preventive capacity of M&D in several human health disorders, but its utility in others is under discussion. Aging has been associated to elderly cognitive decline including dementia-Alzheimer syndrome (Dem-AD). The absence of a therapy to impede or postpone Dem-AD determines the need for its prevention, including nutritional factors. To evaluate the preventive capacity of M&D consumption in elderly Dem-AD we performed a systematic review in the main biomedical databases and information resources, but we present this study as a narrative review to discuss better the complexity of this subject. The elderly Dem-AD has a long pre-symptomatic period and the M&D intake has a widespread use. These determinants and the quality flaws of published studies impeach us to answer whether M&D consumption is preventive for Dem-AD. Moreover, two long Japanese cohorts suggest that M&D intake could prevent Dem-AD. Prospective cohorts beginning in midlife (or early life) could answer this question in the future.

Meat Consumption, Cognitive Function and Disorders: A Systematic Review with Narrative Synthesis and Meta-Analysis

Cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, and other forms of dementia are increasing in prevalence worldwide, while global dietary patterns are transitioning to a 'western type' with increasing meat consumption. Studies which have explored the associations between cognitive function and meat intakes have produced inconsistent findings. The aim of this systematic review was to explore the evidence linking meat intake with cognitive disorders. Twenty-nine studies were retrieved, including twelve cohort, three case-control, thirteen cross-sectional studies, and one intervention study. The majority (21/29) showed that meat consumption was not significantly associated with cognitive function or disorders. Meta-analysis of five studies showed no significant differences in meat consumption between cases with cognitive disorders and controls (standardized mean difference = -0.32, 95% CI: -1.01, 0.36); however, there was considerable heterogeneity. In contrast, a meta-analysis of five studies showed reduced odds of cognitive disorders by consuming meat weekly or more (OR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.57, 0.88); however, potential publication bias was noted in relation to this finding. Overall, there was no strong association between meat intake and cognitive disorders. However, the evidence base was limited, requiring more studies of high quality to isolate the specific effect of meat consumption from dietary patterns to confirm these associations.

PhIP exposure in rodents produces neuropathology potentially relevant to Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a public health crisis due to debilitating cognitive symptoms and lack of curative treatments, in the context of increasing prevalence. Thus, it is critical to identify modifiable risk factors. High levels of meat consumption may increase AD risk. Many toxins are formed during meat cooking such as heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs). Our prior studies have shown that HAAs produce dopaminergic neurotoxicity. Given the mechanistic and pathological overlap between AD and dopaminergic disorders we investigated whether exposure to 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo [4,5-b] pyridine (PhIP), a prevalent dietary HAA formed during high-temperature meat cooking, may produce AD-relevant neurotoxicity. Here, C57BL/6 mice were treated with 100 or 200 mg/kg PhIP for 8 h or 75 mg/kg for 4 weeks and 16 weeks. PhIP exposure for 8 h produced oxidative damage, and AD-relevant alterations in hippocampal synaptic proteins, Amyloid-beta precursor protein (APP), and β-Site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1). PhIP exposure for 4 weeks resulted in an increase in BACE1. PhIP exposure for 16 weeks resulted in increased hippocampal oxidative damage, APP, BACE1, Aβ aggregation, and tau phosphorylation. Quantification of intracellular nitrotyrosine revealed oxidative damage in cholinergic neurons after 8 h, 4 weeks and 16 weeks of PhIP exposure. Our study demonstrates that increase in oxidative damage, APP and BACE1 might be a possible mechanism by which PhIP promotes Aβ aggregation. Given many patients with AD or PD exhibit neuropathological overlap, our study suggests that HAA exposure should be further studied for roles in mediating pathogenic overlap.

The Protective Effects of Acer okamotoanum and Isoquercitrin on Obesity and Amyloidosis in a Mouse Model

Obesity increases risk of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). A high fat diet (HFD) can lead to amyloidosis and amyloid beta (Aβ) accumulation, which are hallmarks of AD. In this study, protective effects of the ethyl acetate fraction of Acer okamotoanum (EAO) and isoquercitrin were evaluated on obesity and amyloidosis in the HFD- and Aβ-induced mouse model. To induce obesity and AD by HFD and Aβ, mice were provided with HFD for 10 weeks and were intracerebroventricularly injected with Aβ_25-35. For four weeks, 100 and 10 mg/kg/day of EAO and isoquercitrin, respectively, were administered orally. Administration of EAO and isoquercitrin significantly decreased body weight in HFD and Aβ-injected mice. Additionally, EAO- and isoquercitrin-administered groups attenuated abnormal adipokines release via a decrease in leptin and an increase in adiponectin levels compared with the control group. Furthermore, HFD and Aβ-injected mice had damaged liver tissues, but EAO- and isoquercitrin-administered groups attenuated liver damage. Moreover, administration of EAO and isoquercitrin groups down-regulated amyloidosis-related proteins in the brain such as β-secretase, presenilin (PS)-1 and PS-2 compared with HFD and Aβ-injected mice. This study indicated that EAO and isoquercitrin attenuated HFD and Aβ-induced obesity and amyloidosis, suggesting that they could be effective in preventing and treating both obesity and AD.

The Links Between the Gut Microbiome, Aging, Modern Lifestyle and Alzheimer's Disease

Gut microbiome is a community of microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract. These bacteria have a tremendous impact on the human physiology in healthy individuals and during an illness. Intestinal microbiome can influence one's health either directly by secreting biologically active substances such as vitamins, essential amino acids, lipids et cetera or indirectly by modulating metabolic processes and the immune system. In recent years considerable information has been accumulated on the relationship between gut microbiome and brain functions. Moreover, significant quantitative and qualitative changes of gut microbiome have been reported in patients with Alzheimer's disease. On the other hand, gut microbiome is highly sensitive to negative external lifestyle aspects, such as diet, sleep deprivation, circadian rhythm disturbance, chronic noise, and sedentary behavior, which are also considered as important risk factors for the development of sporadic Alzheimer's disease. In this regard, this review is focused on analyzing the links between gut microbiome, modern lifestyle, aging, and Alzheimer's disease.

Systemic Immune Dyshomeostasis Model and Pathways in Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) still remains an enigma for researchers and clinicians. The onset of AD is insidious, gradually progressive and multifactorial. The recent accumulated scientific evidences suggests that the pathological changes resemble the autoimmune-driven self-sustaining inflammatory process as a result of prolonged oxidative stress and immune dyshomeostasis. Apart from aging, during life span various other factors—mainly environmental, lifestyle, chronic stress, polymicrobial infections and neuroendocrine functions—affect the immune system. Here, we provide crosstalk among “trigger insults/inflammatory stimulus” i.e., polymicrobial infection, chronic stress, pro-inflammatory diet and cholinergic signaling to put forward a “Systemic Immune Dyshomeostasis” model as to connect the events leading to AD development and progression. Our model implicates altered cholinergic signaling and suggests pathological stages with various modifiable risk factors and triggers at different chronological age and stage of cognitive decline. The search of specific autoantibodies for AD which may serve as the suitable blood/CSF biomarkers should be actively pursued for the early diagnosis of AD. The preventive and therapeutic strategies should be directed towards maintaining the normal functioning of the immune system throughout the life span and specific modulation of the immune responses in the brain depending on the stage of changes in brain.

A Review of the Potential Benefits of Increasing Vitamin D Status in Mongolian Adults through Food Fortification and Vitamin D Supplementation

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations are low in Mongolia, averaging 22 ng/mL in summer and only 8 ng/mL in winter. Mongolians have high incidence and/or prevalence of several diseases linked to low 25(OH)D concentrations, including ischemic heart disease, malignant neoplasms, cirrhosis of the liver, ischemic stroke, lower respiratory tract infections, preterm birth complications, and diabetes mellitus. Fortifying regularly consumed foods such as flour, milk, and edible oils with vitamin D₃ could raise 25(OH)D concentrations by about 10 ng/mL. However, to achieve 25(OH)D concentrations of 30–40 ng/mL in adults, vitamin D intakes of 1000 to 4000 IU/day would be required, making personal supplement use necessary. On the basis of prospective observational studies and clinical trials of disease incidence or known mortality rates and adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes, raising mean serum 25(OH)D concentrations to 40 ng/mL would likely reduce incidence and mortality rates for those and other diseases, reduce the rate of adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes, and increase mean life expectancy by one year or more.

Variations in 25-Hydroxyvitamin D in Countries from the Middle East and Europe: The Roles of UVB Exposure and Diet

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) has been largely associated with latitude and sunshine exposure across several regions. According to previous results, 25(OH)D concentrations are, on average, relatively low in countries with abundant sunshine, including those of the Middle East and North Africa region, as well as lower-latitude Europe. The standard explanation for this phenomenon is that people wear concealing clothing because of cultural and religious practices and that high temperatures in summer limit direct sun exposure. However, the role of diet in the development of profound hypovitaminosis D has not been adequately explored in those countries. To examine how diet affects vitamin D status in the Middle Eastern and European countries, a search was conducted for papers from that region reporting 25(OH)D concentrations. Papers were sought that reported summertime and wintertime 25(OH)D concentrations for healthy nonpregnant adults representative of the entire population. Data from 15 Middle Eastern and European countries were found through this search. Data for postmenopausal women from 19 European countries were also obtained. Dietary supply data for animal products containing vitamin D (animal fat, eggs, ocean fish, animal meat, and milk) were obtained from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Latitude and a solar UVB dose index also were obtained for each country. For the 15-country study, energy from dietary factors was highly correlated with latitude, making it difficult to separate the effects of UVB exposure and dietary factors. However, for the 19-country study, dietary factors were only weakly correlated with latitude. In that study, ocean fish was the most important single dietary factor affecting serum 25(OH)D concentration for postmenopausal women in various European countries, but animal fat and meat also contributed. Because this is an ecological study, further research is encouraged to evaluate and extend the findings.

Natural products and their derivatives as multifunctional ligands against Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD), a complex neurodegenerative disorder causing multiple cellular changes including impaired cholinergic system, beta-amyloid (βA) aggregation, tau hyperphosphorylation, metal dyshomeostasis, neuroinflammation, and many other pathways are involved in the pathogenesis of the disease. However, the exact cause of the disease is not known. Natural products such as flavonoids, alkaloids, resveratrol, and curcumin have multifunctional properties, and have drawn the attention of the researchers because these molecules are capable of interacting concurrently with the multiple targets of AD. Therefore, natural products and their derivatives with proven efficacy could be used in the management of the neurodegenerative disorders. This review focuses on the natural product based multitarget directed ligands like tacrine-coumarin, tacrine-huperzine A, harmine-isoxazoline, berberine-thiophenyl, galantamine-indole, pyridoxine-resveratrol, donepezil-curcumin and their mode of action.

Diet and Alzheimer's dementia - Nutritional approach to modulate inflammation

BACKGROUND

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease causing dementia in the elderly population. Due to the fact that there is still no cure for Alzheimer's dementia and available treatment strategies bring only symptomatic benefits, there is a pressing demand for other effective strategies such as diet. Since the inflammation hypothesis gained considerable significance in the AD pathogenesis, elucidating the modulatory role of dietary factors on inflammation may help to prevent, delay the onset and slow the progression of AD. Current evidence clearly shows that synergistic action of combined supplementation and complex dietary patterns provides stronger benefits than any single component considered separately. Recent studies reveal the growing importance of novel factors such as dietary advanced glycation end products (d-AGE), gut microbiota, butyrate and vitamin D₃ on inflammatory processes in AD.

CONCLUSION

This paper summarizes the available evidence of pro- and anti-inflammatory activity of some dietary components including fatty acids, vitamins, flavonoids, polyphenols, probiotics and d-AGE, and their potential for AD prevention and treatment.

Mediterranean and MIND Diets Containing Olive Biophenols Reduces the Prevalence of Alzheimer's Disease

The risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) increases with nonmodifiable conditions including age and lack of effective efficacious pharmacotherapy. During the past decades, the non-pharmacotherapy mode of treatment of dietary modification received extensive attention in AD research. In order to reduce the AD pathology and cognitive decline, various dietary patterns have been attempted including caloric restriction (CR), dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH), ketogenic diets (KD), Mediterranean diet (MedDi) and Mediterranean-DASH diet Intervention for Neurological Delay (MIND) diet. Higher adherence to the MedDi diet was associated with decreases in cardiovascular and neurological disorders including AD and related cognitive decline. However, another emerging healthy dietary pattern MIND diet has also been associated with slower rates of cognitive decline and significant reduction of AD rate. Olive serves as one of the building block components of MedDi and MIND diets and the exerted potential health beneficial might be suggested due to the presence of its bioactive constituents such as oleic acids and phenolic compounds (biophenols). A few trials using medical food showed an optimal result in presymptomatic or early stages of AD. The review supports the notion that MedDi and MIND diets display potential for maintaining the cognitive function as nonpharmacological agents against AD pathology and proposed preventative mechanism through the presence of olive biophenols and presents the gaps along with the future directions.

Nutrients in Alzheimer’s Disease: The Interaction of Diet, Drugs and Disease

In recent decades, clinical trials in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) have failed at an unprecedented rate. The etiology of AD has since come under renewed scrutiny, both to elucidate the underlying pathologies and to identify novel therapeutic strategies. Here, diet has emerged as a potential causative/protective agent. A variety of nutrients, including lipids, minerals, vitamins, antioxidants and sugars as well as broader dietary patterns and microbiotal interactions have demonstrated associations with AD. Although clinical trials have yet to definitively implicate any singular dietary element as therapeutic or causative, it is apparent that dietary preferences, likely in complex synergies, may influence the risk, onset and course of AD. This review catalogs the impact of major dietary elements on AD. It further examines an unexplored reciprocal association where AD may modulate diet, as well as how potential therapeutics may complicate these interactions. In doing so, we observe diet may have profound effects on the outcome of a clinical trial, either as a confounder of a drug/disease interaction or as a generally disruptive covariate. We therefore conclude that future clinical trials in AD should endeavor to control for diet, either in study design or subsequent analyses.

Comparative Epidemiological Investigation of Alzheimer's Disease and Colorectal Cancer: The Possible Role of Gastrointestinal Conditions in the Pathogenesis of AD

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects approximately 35 million people worldwide, and diet has been reported to influence the prevalence/incidence of AD. Colorectal cancer is among the most common cancers in Western populations, and the correlation between constipation and the occurrence of colorectal cancer has been identified in a number of studies, which show that a Westernized diet is a mutual risk factor. Constipation is a growing health problem, particularly in middle-aged and older adults. As the most common gastrointestinal disorder in adults, constipation affects 2-20% of the world population, and it is associated with several diseases, such as diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and others. Comparing the epidemiological data on colorectal cancer and AD, we find that colorectal cancer and AD have similar epidemiologic feature, which is both disease correlate with high prevalence of constipation. Therefore, we hypothesized that constipation may influence Alzheimer's disease in a similar way that it contributes to colorectal cancer. This review aimed to systemically elucidate the evidence that constipation contributes to Alzheimer's disease progression.

Impact of social relationships on Alzheimer's memory impairment: mechanistic studies

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by progressive memory and neuronal loss culminating in cognitive impairment that not only affects a person's living ability but also becomes a society's as well as a family's economic burden. AD is the most common form of dementia in older persons. It is expected that the number of people with AD dementia will increase dramatically in the next 30 years, projecting to 75 million in 2030 and 131.5 million in 2050 worldwide. So far, no sufficient evidence is available to support that any medicine is able to prevent or reverse the progression of the disease. Early studies have shown that social environment, particularly social relationships, can affect one's behavior and mental health. A study analyzing the correlation between loneliness and risk of developing AD revealed that lonely persons had higher risk of AD compared with persons who were not lonely. On the other hand, it has been reported that we can prevent cognitive decline and delay the onset of AD if we keep mentally active and frequently participate in social activities. In this review, we focus on the impact of social behaviors on the progression of cognitive deficit in animal models of AD with a particular emphasis on a mechanistic scheme that explains how social isolation exacerbates cognitive impairment and how social interaction with conspecifics rescues AD patients' memory deficit.

Mevastatin promotes neuronal survival against Aβ-induced neurotoxicity through AMPK activation

Statins or HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors have been shown to be effective at lowering cholesterol levels, and the application of these molecules has gradually emerged as an attractive therapeutic strategy for neurodegenerative diseases. Epidemiological studies suggest that statin use is associated with a decreased incidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Thus, statins may play a beneficial role in reducing amyloid β (Aβ) toxicity, the most relevant pathological feature and pathogenesis of AD. However, the precise mechanisms involved in statin-inhibited Aβ toxicity remain unclear. In the present study, we report that mevastatin significantly protects against Aβ-induced neurotoxicity in SK-N-MC neuronal cells by restoring impaired insulin signaling. This protection appears to be associated with the activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which has long been known to increase insulin sensitivity. Our results also indicate that high levels of cholesterol likely underlie Aβ-induced neurotoxicity and that activation of AMPK by mevastatin alleviates insulin resistance. Signaling through the insulin receptor substrate-1/Akt pathway appears to lead to cell survival. These findings demonstrate that mevastatin plays a potential therapeutic role in targeting Aβ-mediated neurotoxicity. The molecule presents a novel therapeutic strategy for further studies in AD prevention and therapeutics.

Nutrition and AGE-ing: Focusing on Alzheimer's Disease

Recently, the role of food and nutrition in preventing or delaying chronic disability in the elderly population has received great attention. Thanks to their ability to influence biochemical and biological processes, bioactive nutrients are considered modifiable factors capable of preserving a healthy brain status. A diet rich in vitamins and polyphenols and poor in saturated fatty acids has been recommended. In the prospective of a healthy diet, cooking methods should be also considered. In fact, cooking procedures can modify the original dietary content, contributing not only to the loss of healthy nutrients, but also to the formation of toxins, including advanced glycation end products (AGEs). These harmful compounds are adsorbed at intestinal levels and can contribute to the ageing process. The accumulation of AGEs in ageing (“AGE-ing”) is further involved in the exacerbation of neurodegenerative and many other chronic diseases. In this review, we discuss food's dual role as both source of bioactive nutrients and reservoir for potential toxic compounds—paying particular attention to the importance of proper nutrition in preventing/delaying Alzheimer's disease. In addition, we focus on the importance of a good education in processing food in order to benefit from the nutritional properties of an optimal diet.