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Volume 8
Journal of Alzheimers Disease & Parkinsonism
Dementia 2018
December 13-15, 2018
Page 23
Notes:
December 13-15, 2018 Abu Dhabi, UAE
13
th
Annual Conference on
Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease
Food for the brain: Tropical vegetables and spices with neuroprotective properties
Ganiyu Oboh
Federal University of Technology, Nigeria
N
eurodegenerative diseases are generally characterized by memory loss, cognitive dysfunction, neuronal damage and
death. The pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and Parkinson’s Disease (PD)
are not well understood. However, these diseases are multifactorial etiology, which involves complex mechanisms such as
disruption of neurological cascades, oxidative stress, impaired neurochemistry, protein misfolding and aggregation as well
as deposition of senile plaques and insoluble fibrils in the brain. Management of age-related diseases including AD and PD
have been associated with consumption of functional foods which could be whole, fortified, enriched or enhanced foods that
provides health benefits beyond the provision of essential nutrients. These foods contain phytochemicals such as polyphenols,
alkaloids, carotenoids, anthocyanin’s and many more which are capable of improving cognitive function, learning, general
brain and wellbeing. Tropical vegetables and spices are among one of the most consumed food either singly or as part of
other dishes. In our lab, we have employed various experimental models including
in vitro
screenings,
in vivo
studies in
rats and fruit fly (
Drosophila melanogaster
) to study the biochemical and molecular basis of neuroprotective properties of
several tropical vegetables and spices. This review major findings from our lab on the neuroprotective properties (as well
as the underlying biochemical and molecular mechanisms) of some tropical vegetables and spices in various experimental
models. Experimental findings on tropical green leafy vegetables including Amaranth (
Amarantus cruentus
), Water bitter
leaf (
Struchium sparganophora
), Pumpkin (
Telfairia occidentalis
), Horseradish (Moringa olifera), African Jointfir (
Gnetum
africanum
) and spices such as pepper varieties (
Capsicum spp
.), Ginger (
Zingiber officinale Roscoe
), Turmeric (
Curcuma
longa
), Alligator pepper (
Aframomum melegueta
), and Bastard Melegueta (
Aframomum danieli
) were presented. Furthermore,
characterized phytochemicals especially polyphenols and alkaloids from these tropical foods is also elucidated. It is believed
that our findings would provide useful information on the neuroprotective properties of these functional foods which could
form basis for their adoption as functional foods and nutraceuticals for the management of related neurodegenerative disease.
Biography
Ganiyu Oboh, Nigerian biochemist, researcher. Achievements include development of bio-system network for the re-utilization of cassava peels and wastewater
by-products. Member of Nigerian Society Experimental Biology, Biotechnology Society Nigeria, Nigerian Society Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (chapter secretary).
ganiyu.oboh@gmail.comGaniyu Oboh, J Alzheimers Dis Parkinsonism 2018, Volume 8
DOI: 10.4172/2161-0460-C8-057