Scientists have found that highly abundant, naturally occurring, plant-based polyphenols like tannic acid found in the twigs of trees like Chestnut and Oak can modulate the ferroptosis-AD axis to yield a safe, cost-effective strategy for combating Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
AD is a widely prevalent progressive neurodegenerative disorder marked by memory and cognitive decline, yet it remains poorly understood despite decades of dedicated research. As a consequence of this, there are no therapeutics to completely cure the disease. Ferroptosis, an iron-dependent form of programmed cell death, has emerged as a significant contributor to the development of AD.
Study by scientists of Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), presents naturally occurring polyphenols as innovative and multimodal therapeutic agents with dual capabilities to ameliorate ferroptosis and AD. The underlying mechanisms involve the inhibition of aggregation of amyloid (abnormal fibrous, proteinaceous deposits found in organs and tissues) and tau protein (abundantly found in the neurons of the central nervous system), diminishing oxidative stress, rescuing mitochondrial function, and inhibiting ferroptosis, according to a press release.