Biological Potential, Gastrointestinal Digestion, Absorption, and Bioavailability of Algae-Derived Compounds with Neuroprotective Activity: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

Currently, there is no known cure for neurodegenerative disease. However, the available therapies aim to manage some of the symptoms of the disease. Human neurodegenerative diseases are a heterogeneous group of illnesses characterized by progressive loss of neuronal cells and nervous system dysfunction related to several mechanisms such as protein aggregation, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and neurotransmission dysfunction. Neuroprotective compounds are essential in the prevention and management of neurodegenerative diseases. This review will focus on the neurodegeneration mechanisms and the compounds (proteins, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), polysaccharides, carotenoids, phycobiliproteins, phenolic compounds, among others) present in seaweeds that have shown in vivo and in vitro neuroprotective activity. Additionally, it will cover the recent findings on the neuroprotective effects of bioactive compounds from macroalgae, with a focus on their biological potential and possible mechanism of action, including microbiota modulation. Furthermore, gastrointestinal digestion, absorption, and bioavailability will be discussed. Moreover, the clinical trials using seaweed-based drugs or extracts to treat neurodegenerative disorders will be presented, showing the real potential and limitations that a specific metabolite or extract may have as a new therapeutic agent considering the recent approval of a seaweed-based drug to treat Alzheimer’s disease.

Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) and Neuroprotection, What Is New? An Up-To-Date Systematic Review

“…There are 200 different types of dementia, and 50–60% of all cases are caused by AD [ 37 , 38 ]. The most prevalent ND in the world is AD [ 5 ]. AD refers to a particular onset and progression of cognitive and functional deterioration brought on by aging, ultimately leading to mortality [ 39 ].…”

“…Still, there is a significant difference between the cognitive, structural, and neurometabolic changes caused by healthy aging and those that emerge from ND [ 4 ]. The neurodegeneration process involves molecular and cellular mechanisms, such as neuroinflammation, abnormal protein aggregation and misfolding, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, reduction in neurotransmitter levels, and metal dyshomeostasis [ 5 ].…”

Cognitive Impairment in Multiple Sclerosis

“…Given the spectrum of the presentations for MS, it should be no surprise that a vast array of cellular mechanisms may foster the onset and progression of MS. Pathways that involve inflammatory mediators, demyelination and remyelination pathways, oxidative stress, blood-brain barrier impairment, viral antigens, and cellular metabolism, which are dependent upon nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), have been tied to the underlying pathology of MS [10,29,31,33,39,43,72,77,85,86,99,100,115,162,171,[179][180][181][182][183][184][185][186][187][188][189][190][191][192][193][194][195][196][197][198]. Although new treatments that address MS, known as disease modifying therapies (DMTs), can limit the rate of relapse in patients with relapsing-remitting MS, DMTs cannot prevent disease progression.…”

Cornerstone Cellular Pathways for Metabolic Disorders and Diabetes Mellitus: Non-Coding RNAs, Wnt Signaling, and AMPK

“…Oxidative stress occurs during the generation of ROS that can be formed by entities that include superoxide free radicals, peroxynitrite, singlet oxygen, nitric oxide, and hydrogen peroxide [80,164,[185][186][187][188][189][190][191]. With the onset of oxidative stress and the release of ROS, injury can occur to neurons [15,19,76,[191][192][193][194][195][196][197][198][199][200][201], vascular cells [33,36,38,190,[202][203][204][205][206][207], stem cells [80,199,[208][209][210], hepatic cells [51,53,[211][212][213][214][215][216], renal cells [15,43,[217]…”