ABSTRACT
Representing one of the most important lifestyle factors, diet can strongly inuence the incidence and onset of cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative disorders. Various phytochemical constituents of foods and beverages, in particular a class of compounds called avonoids, have been avidly investigated in recent years. They have been proposed to exert a multiplicity of neuroprotective actions within the brain, including a potential to protect neurons against injury induced by neurotoxins [1], an ability to suppress neuroinammation [2], and a potential to promote memory, learning, and cognitive functions [3]. These effects appear to be underpinned by two common processes. First, they are capable of interactions with critical protein and lipid kinase signaling cascades in the brain, leading to an inhibition of apoptosis triggered by neurotoxic species and to a promotion of neuronal survival and synaptic plasticity. Second, they induce benecial effects on the vascular system, leading to changes in cerebrovascular blood ow capable of causing angiogenesis and neurogenesis and changes in neuronal morphology. This chapter highlights the neuroprotective mechanisms of avonoids through their ability to interact with neuronal signaling pathways, their potential to inhibit neuroinammation, and their impact on the vascular system.
