A role for flavonoids in the prevention and/or treatment of cognitive dysfunction, learning, and memory deficits: a review of preclinical and clinical studies

ABSTRACT

Objective

Natural food substances, due to high rates of antioxidants, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties, have been proposed to have the potential for the prevention or treatment of cognitive deficits, learning and memory deficits and neuro inflammation. In particular, medicinal plants with rich amounts of beneficial components such as flavonoids are one of the most promising therapeutic candidates for the cognitive deficit and memory loss. Herein, we aimed to review the impact of medicinal plants with focus on flavonoids on cognitive dysfunction, learning and memory loss by considering their signaling pathways.

Methods

We extracted 93 preclinical and clinical studies related to the effects of flavonoids on learning and memory and cognition from published papers between 2000 and 2021 in the MEDLINE/PubMed, Cochrane Library, SCOPUS, and Airiti Library databases.

Results

In the preclinical studies, at least there seem to be two main neurological and biological processes in which flavonoids contribute to the improvement and/or prevention of learning, memory deficit and cognitive dysfunction: (1) Regulation of neurotransmission system and (2) Enhancement of neurogenesis, synaptic plasticity and neuronal survival.

Conclusion

Although useful effects of flavonoids on learning and memory in preclinical investigations have been approved, more clinical trials are required to find out whether flavonoids and/or other ingredients of plants have the potent to prevent or treat neurodegenerative disorders.

KEYWORDS:

• Flavonoids
• molecular
• signaling
• neurotransmitters
• cognition
• dementia

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Professor Dominique de Quervain, director of the Division of Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Basel, Switzerland for his contribution in editing the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Matin Ramezani

Matin Ramezani, MSc, Arak University.

Arman Zeinaddini Meymand

Arman Zeinaddini Meymand, Medical Student, Neuroscience research center of Shahid Beheshti University.

Fariba Khodagholi

Fariba Khodagholi, Associate professor, Neuroscience research center of Shahid Beheshti University.

Hamed Mohammadi Kamsorkh

Hamed Mohammadi Kamsorkh, Resident; Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences.

Ehsan Asadi

Ehsan Asadi, Resident, Neuroscience research center of Shahid Beheshti University.

Mitra Noori

Mitra Noori, Professor, Department of Biology, Arak University.

Kimia Rahimian

Kimia Rahimian, Resident, Neuroscience research center of Shahid Beheshti University.

Ali Saberi Shahrbabaki

Ali Saberi Shahrbabaki, Medical Student, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences.

Aisa Talebi

Aisa Talebi, Medical Student, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences.

Hanieh Parsaiyan

Hanieh Parsaiyan, Medical Student, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences.

Sepideh Shiravand

Sepideh Shiravand, Resident, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences.

Niloufar Darbandi

Niloufar Darbandi, Associate Professor, Department of Biology, Arak University.