Functional foods and bioactive compounds: Roles in the prevention, treatment and management of neurodegenerative diseases

Neurodegenerative diseases are age related decline in the functionality of neurons and nerve cells hampering healthy ageing and associated with features such as learning shortfall, memory mishap, subjective decay and long term dementia. Biochemical underlying hallmarks include oxidative stress as a result of ROS generation and mitochondrial dysfunction, cholinesterase malfunction and inflammation of neurons. Neurodegenerative diseases represent a major threat to ageing population, as it is projected that in 2050, one in eighty-five individuals would have Alzheimer’s disease.

In this review, various functional foods were elucidated to possess bioactive compounds that exhibit neuroprotective activities via their: antioxidant, anti-amyloid aggregation, modification of monoamines and acetylcholinesterase inhibition amongst others.  Lately, illuminating directions are towards frugal functional foods and bioactive compounds that would help the global populace as medicinal foods in the prevention, treatment and management of neurodegenerative diseases. This review attempts to evaluate the various functional foods, their bioactive compounds, their possible mechanism of action in the attempt to ensure healthy ageing, novel drug development and frugal neurodegenerative diseases management.