neuroprotective herbs and foods from different traditional medicines and diets神经保护草药和食物来自不同传统药物和饮食.pdfVIP

Molecules 2010, 15, 3517-3555; doi:10.3390/molecules OPEN ACCESS molecules ISSN 1420-3049 /journal/molecules Review Neuroprotective Herbs and Foods from Different Traditional Medicines and Diets Marcello Iriti 1,2,*, Sara Vitalini 1,3, Gelsomina Fico 3,4 and Franco Faoro 1,2 1 Dipartimento di Produzione Vegetale, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy 2 Dipartimento Agroalimentare, CNR-IVV, Milano, Italy; E-Mail franco.faoro@unimi.it (F.F.) 3 Orto Botanico ‘GE Ghirardi’, Università degli Studi di Milano, Toscolano Maderno, Brescia, Italy; E-Mail: sara.vitalini@unimi.it (S.V.) 4 Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy; E-Mail: gelsomina.fico@unimi.it (G.F.) * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: marcello.iriti@unimi.it; Tel.: +39-02-503-16766; Fax: +39-02-503-16781. Received: 21 February 2010; in revised form: 31 March 2010 / Accepted: 6 May 2010 / Published: 14 May 2010 Abstract: Plant secondary metabolites include an array of bioactive constituents form both medicinal and food plants able to improve human health. The exposure to these phytochemicals, including phenylpropanoids, isoprenoids and alkaloids, through correct dietary habits, may promote health benefits, protecting against the chronic degenerative disorders mainly seen in Western industrialized countries, such as cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we briefly deal with some plant foods and herbs