nutrients-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

The Possible Role of Bioactive Compounds in Food in the Prevention of Neurodegenerative Diseases

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Phytochemicals and Human Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 July 2026 | Viewed by 167

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Molecular & Clinical Pharmacology, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas (ICBM), Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago 8380453, Chile
Interests: Parkinson's disease; neuromelanin; neuroprotection; neurodegeneration; dopamine oxidation; preclinical model for Parkinson's disease
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The life expectancy of the global population is on the rise, leading to a corresponding increase in the prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease each year. This trend places a significant economic burden on society, as patients with these conditions often require long-term care. The challenge lies in the fact that have not yet translated into new pharmacological treatments that can alter or delay significantly disease progression without major secondary effects. While basic research has provided insights into the molecular mechanisms involved, these discoveries have not yet translated into new pharmacological treatments that can alter or delay disease progression. Interestingly, our diet contains various compounds with biological effects that suggest a diet rich in certain bioactive compounds could potentially help prevent or slow the progression of these diseases. This Special Issue aims to explore the potential role of bioactive compounds in food as a means of preventing neurodegenerative diseases.

Prof. Dr. Juan Segura-Aguilar
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • bioactive compounds
  • neurodegenerative diseases
  • neurodegeneration
  • Parkinson’s disease
  • Alzheimer's disease
  • neuroprotection
  • antioxidants
  • phytocompounds
  • anti-inflammatory compounds

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

18 pages, 2547 KB  
Article
The Flavonoid Apigenin Modulates Oligodendroglial Plasticity and Has a Neuroprotective Effect in Cerebellar Slice Cultures with Oxygen Glucose Deprivation
by Rodrigo Barreto Carreira, Cleonice Creusa dos Santos, Juciele Valeria Ribeiro de Oliveira, Nivia Nonato Silva, Victor Diogenes Amaral da Silva, Mauricio Moraes Victor, Arthur Morgan Butt and Silvia Lima Costa
Nutrients 2026, 18(7), 1086; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18071086 (registering DOI) - 28 Mar 2026
Abstract
Background: Apigenin, as a flavonoid, can be protective against oxidative damage in hypoxic events due to its antioxidant properties. Here, we have investigated the neuroprotective effects of apigenin in an ex vivo model of ischemic damage, using cerebellar slices from postnatal day (P)8–12 [...] Read more.
Background: Apigenin, as a flavonoid, can be protective against oxidative damage in hypoxic events due to its antioxidant properties. Here, we have investigated the neuroprotective effects of apigenin in an ex vivo model of ischemic damage, using cerebellar slices from postnatal day (P)8–12 reporter mice to identify oligodendrocytes (SOX10-EGFP) and astrocytes (GFAP-EGFP). Methods: Apigenin (10 and 20 μM) was administered preventively at 60 min prior to and during inducing ischemic damage by oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD); controls were maintained with glucose and normoxia (OGN). Results: OGD induced a marked retraction of oligodendroglial processes without reducing the oligodendrocyte number. This structural disruption was prevented by apigenin; notably, 10 μM apigenin blocked process retraction, whereas 20 μM did not, indicating a dose-dependent effect on the oligodendroglial morphology. Consistent with this, MBP and NF70 immunofluorescence analyses of axonal myelination demonstrated that OGD caused a significant loss of myelin sheaths, and this was prevented by pre-treatment with apigenin. In addition, apigenin prevented astrocyte reactivity induced by OGD, as assessed by increased GFAP-EGFP expression and decreased expression of glutamine synthetase. Moreover, immunofluorescence for calbindin indicated that apigenin protected Purkinje neurons from ischemic damage. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that apigenin is neuroprotective in ischemia and this is associated with modulation of astrocyte reactivity and maintenance of oligodendrocyte and myelin integrity. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop