Role of circulating phenolic metabolites crossing the blood-brain barrier from Mediterranean foods against neurodegenerative diseases
Presentation Summary
A Mediterranean diet rich in (poly)phenols is linked to neuroprotection, but its efficacy likely depends on its ability to reach the brain. We hypothesized that circulating phenolic metabolites derived from Mediterranean foods may cross the BBB, reaching the brain parenchyma, where they could attenuate neuroinflammation and help prevent neurodegenerative diseases. To address this, we analyzed the pharmacokinetic of (poly)phenols in the brain after oral administration of Mediterranean foods by comparing perfused with non-perfused tissues, and validating their transport using an in vitro BBB model. Besides, the anti-neuroinflammatory effect of individual phenolic metabolites and physiologically representative mixtures was evaluated in inflamed human microglial cells.
About Antonio González-Sarrías
Antonio González-Sarrías is a Tenured Scientist at CEBAS-CSIC (Murcia, Spain) since 2018. He is a Biologist and obtained his Ph.D. with honors in 2009. His scientific career has focused on evaluating the anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective activities of different dietary polyphenols and their in vivo metabolites under physiological conditions, in both preclinical (cell and animal models) and clinical studies, thus evaluating whether polyphenols contribute, at least in part, to the correlation between a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and a lower incidence of chronic diseases. He is author/co-author of more than 100 scientific research publications with a H-index of 52. Remarkably, the impact of his research led to his recognition as a highly-cited researcher in 2020 and 2021 (Clarivate, Web of Science).
