Gallic Acid and Related Compounds as Neuroprotective Agents: You are What ou Eat!
Sommaire de l'article
Gallic acid (3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid) is a phenolic acid widely distributed in many different families of higher plants, both in free state, and as a part of more complex molecules, such as ester derivatives or polymers. In nature, gallic acid and its derivatives are present in nearly every part of the plant, such as bark, wood, leaf, fruit, root and seed. They are present in different concentrations in common foodstuffs such as blueberry, blackberry, strawberry, plums, grapes, mango, cashew nut, hazelnut, walnut, tea, wine and so on. After consumption, about 70% of gallic acid is adsorbed and then excreted in the urine as 4-O-methylgallic acid. Differently, the ester derivatives of gallic acid, such as catechin gallate ester or gallotannins, are hydrolysed to gallic acid before being metabolised to methylated derivatives. Gallic acid is a well known antioxidant compounds which has neuropreotective actions in different models of neurodegeneration, neurotoxicity and oxidative stress. In this review, we disscuss about neuroprotective actions of gallic acid and its possible mechanisms of action.