Abstract
The prevalence of psychiatric disorders permanently increases. Polyphenolic compounds can be involved in modulation of mental health including brain plasticity, behaviour, mood, depression, and cognition. In addition to their antioxidant ability other biomodulating properties have been observed. In the pathogenesis of depression disturbance in neurotransmitters, increased inflammatory processes, defects in neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity, mitochondrial dysfunction, and redox imbalance are observed. Ginkgo biloba, green tea, and Quercus robur extracts and curcumin can affect neuronal system in depressive patients. ADHD patients treated with antipsychotic drugs, especially stimulants, report significant adverse effects; therefore, an alternative treatment is searched for. An extract from Ginkgo biloba and from Pinus pinaster bark, Pycnogenol, could become promising complementary supplements in ADHD treatment. Schizophrenia is a devastating mental disorder, with oxidative stress involved in its pathophysiology. The direct interference of polyphenols with schizophrenia pathophysiology has not been reported yet. However, increased oxidative stress caused by haloperidol was inhibited ex vivo by different polyphenols. Curcumin, extract from green tea and from Ginkgo biloba, may have benefits on serious side effects associated with administration of neuroleptics to patients suffering from schizophrenia. Polyphenols in the diet have the potential to become medicaments in the field of mental health after a thorough study of their mechanism of action.
Highlights
The prevalence of psychiatric disorders permanently increases
They are divided into three groups according to their hydrolytic cleavage products: (i) tannins: derivatives of catechin or gallic acid with mostly antioxidant properties [8], (ii) phenylpropane derivatives; for example, higher dietary intake of lignans is associated with better cognitive functions in postmenopausal women [9] or extract of ellagitannins from oak wood reduced many of key symptoms of chronic fatigue [10], and (iii) flavonoids: phenolic compounds spread in the plant kingdom
Our results found in 61 children with attention deficit hyperactivity disease (ADHD) investigated in double-blind, randomized, and placebo controlled study suggest increased level of the marker of oxidative damage to DNA, 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroxyquanine (8-oxo-G) and decreased total antioxidant status in comparison to the controls [24]
Summary
The prevalence of psychiatric disorders permanently increases. The treatment of psychiatric disorders is very expensive. The cost of depression corresponds to 1% of the total economy of Europe. These reasons provide support for the importance of increased research efforts in this field, better detection, prevention based on improvement of lifestyle factors including diet, and effectiveness of treatment [1]. Research demonstrates that dietary factors and exercise can affect the maintenance and development of neurons and protect the brain from insult associated with neurological illnesses or injuries [2,3,4,5,6,7]
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