ABSTRACT
Walnut, or Juglans regia L., is one of the most important dry fruits from a family Juglandaceae and genus Juglans. This fruit contains a lot of phytochemicals that are widely recognized as active pharmaceutical agents for the prevention and treatment of mental and metabolic disorder. One of the most important aspects of therapeutic value of J. regia lies in its potential use as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agent. Recent research has proved that long-chain omega-3 fatty acids docosa hexaenoic acid, ecosa pentanoic acid, and docosa pentaenoic acid are the derivative compounds of unsaturated fatty acid α linolinic acids 18:3 n-3, possess extraordinary potentials of neuroprotective properties, and exhibit a potential treatment for a variety of neurodegenerative and neurological disorders. Several in vivo and in vitro studies suggested that the active ingredient of walnuts (J. regia) could inhibit neurodegenerative disorder and even reverses its normal functions.
In this review, we have attempted to provide epidemiological evidence of available active chemical constituents of walnuts (J. regia) to address mental disease such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease and discuss the possible mechanism of antineurodegenerative effects of its active compounds.
