Impact of Coffee and Cacao Purine Metabolites on Neuroplasticity and Neurodegenerative Disease

Increasing evidence suggests that regular consumption of coffee, tea and dark chocolate (cacao) can promote brain health and may reduce the risk of age-related neurodegenerative disorders. However, the complex array of phytochemicals in coffee and cacao beans and tea leaves has hindered a clear unde...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Neurochemical research 2019-01, Vol.44 (1), p.214-227
Main Authors: Camandola, Simonetta, Plick, Natalie, Mattson, Mark P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adenosine receptors
Age
Animal models
Animals
Beans
Biochemistry
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Biomedicine
Brain
Cacao - chemistry
Cacao - metabolism
Caffeine
Cell Biology
Chocolate
Coffee
Coffee - chemistry
Coffee - metabolism
Cognitive ability
Humans
Metabolites
Neurochemistry
Neurodegenerative diseases
Neurodegenerative Diseases - drug therapy
Neurodegenerative Diseases - metabolism
Neurology
Neuronal Plasticity - drug effects
Neuronal Plasticity - physiology
Neuroplasticity
Neurosciences
Original Paper
Phytochemicals
Plant Extracts - metabolism
Plant Extracts - pharmacology
Plant Extracts - therapeutic use
Purines - metabolism
Purines - pharmacology
Purines - therapeutic use
Receptors
Tea
Theophylline
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Summary:Increasing evidence suggests that regular consumption of coffee, tea and dark chocolate (cacao) can promote brain health and may reduce the risk of age-related neurodegenerative disorders. However, the complex array of phytochemicals in coffee and cacao beans and tea leaves has hindered a clear understanding of the component(s) that affect neuronal plasticity and resilience. One class of phytochemicals present in relatively high amounts in coffee, tea and cacao are methylxanthines. Among such methylxanthines, caffeine has been the most widely studied and has clear effects on neuronal network activity, promotes sustained cognitive performance and can protect neurons against dysfunction and death in animal models of stroke, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Caffeine’s mechanism of action relies on antagonism of various subclasses of adenosine receptors. Downstream xanthine metabolites, such as theobromine and theophylline, may also contribute to the beneficial effects of coffee, tea and cacao on brain health.
ISSN:0364-3190
1573-6903
DOI:10.1007/s11064-018-2492-0