Aman B. Upaganlawar – författare

Over the past several years research concerning brain health and nutraceuticals has received much attention due to their potential neuroprotective properties and few or no side effects. Nutraceuticals exert copious effects in several biological processes, including antioxidant defenses, cell proliferation and differentiation, gene expression, signal transduction, and safeguarding of mitochondrial integrity. It is very likely that the brain health of an individual is affected by his or her dietary pattern. Intake of a well-nourished diet in the earliest stages of life builds a strong foundation of the brain which helps to maintain brain health in later stages of life. On the other hand, nutritional deficiency can disrupt the structure and function of the human nervous system and increases the risk of brain disorders and early death, affecting all age groups. Although nutraceuticals are popular for health, wellbeing, and illness, the efficacy of common supplements to combat brain disorders is not clearly understood. Bioactive Nutraceuticals for Brain Disorders aims to describe the importance of nutraceutical intervention on different brain disorders to highlight the therapeutic as well as preventive potential.

Free radicals are continuously produced in cells as a part of normal cellular function. However, excess generation of free radicals plays a critical role in the pathophysiology of many disease conditions, especially cancer, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer''s disease, etc. Oxidation is a major chemical process that produces free radicals and initiates chain reactions that cause cellular damage. Compounds that inhibit oxidation are called antioxidants; phenols are known to possess excellent antioxidant properties. Phenolic compounds are abundant in plants in a wide variety of chemical structures. Natural phenolic compounds include phenolic acids and ester derivatives, flavonoids and benzopyran derivatives, quinones, tannins, lignins, lignans, stilbenes, essential oils, chalcones, etc. Nutraceuticals, in the name of dietary supplements and functional foods, are being consumed as prophylactics for the prevention of many diseases throughout the world. Most of these products are polyphenols; hence, this book provides an insight on therapeutic potentials of natural and synthetic polyphenols, emphasizing their pharmacology.