Abstract
Currently available pharmacological treatment of post-ischemia-reperfusion brain injury has limited effectiveness. This review provides an assessment of the current state of neurodegeneration treatment due to ischemia-reperfusion brain injury and focuses on the role of curcumin in the diet. The purpose of this review was to provide a comprehensive overview of what was published about the benefits of curcumin influence on post-ischemic brain damage. Some data on the clinical benefits of curcumin treatment of post-ischemic brain in terms of clinical symptoms and adverse reactions have been reviewed. The data in this review contributes to a better understanding of the potential benefits of curcumin in the treatment of neurodegenerative changes after ischemia and informs scientists, clinicians, and patients, as well as their families and caregivers about the possibilities of such treatment. Due to the pleotropic properties of curcumin, including anti-amyloid, anti-tau protein hyperphosphorylation, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and neuroprotective action, as well as increasing neuronal lifespan and promoting neurogenesis, curcumin is a promising candidate for the treatment of post-ischemic neurodegeneration with misfolded proteins accumulation. In this way, it may gain interest as a potential therapy to prevent the development of neurodegenerative changes after cerebral ischemia. In addition, it is a safe substance and inexpensive, easily accessible, and can effectively penetrate the blood–brain barrier and neuronal membranes. In conclusion, the evidence available in a review of the literature on the therapeutic potential of curcumin provides helpful insight into the potential clinical utility of curcumin in the treatment of neurological neurodegenerative diseases with misfolded proteins. Therefore, curcumin may be a promising supplementary agent against development of neurodegeneration after brain ischemia in the future. Indeed, there is a rational scientific basis for the use of curcumin for the prophylaxis and treatment of post-ischemic neurodegeneration.
Highlights
Ischemia-related brain injury is increasingly common in aging societies in both developed and developing countries
Several years of intensive research have revealed that ischemic stroke and experimental cerebral ischemia are associated with numerous neuronal changes, including mitochondrial damage, synapse disappearance, β-amyloid peptide production and accumulation, microglia and astrocyte activation, tau protein phosphorylation, and neurofibrillary tangles formation [4,14,15,17,18,19,23,24]
Curcumin caused a limited but significant reversal of structural changes in dystrophic dendrites. These results suggest that curcumin reverses existing amyloid pathology and related neurotoxicity in transgenic mice [148]
Summary
Ischemia-related brain injury is increasingly common in aging societies in both developed and developing countries. Several years of intensive research have revealed that ischemic stroke and experimental cerebral ischemia are associated with numerous neuronal changes, including mitochondrial damage, synapse disappearance, β-amyloid peptide production and accumulation, microglia and astrocyte activation, tau protein phosphorylation, and neurofibrillary tangles formation [4,14,15,17,18,19,23,24]. It should be emphasized that, despite the fact that ischemic stroke is one of the main causes of death and disability in the world, there is currently no effective treatment that would improve structural and functional changes leading to neurodegeneration with subsequent dementia. In this review, we will focus on the protective effect of pleiotropic curcumin on persistent neurons and pathological consequences that develop after an ischemic stroke
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
