Martins, NatáliaFerreira, Isabel C.F.R.2018-01-252018-02-022018-01-252018-02-022017Martins, Natália; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R. (2017). Neurocognitive improvement through plant food bioactives: A particular approach to Alzheimer's disease. In Food Bioactives: in Extraction and Biotechnology Applications. p. 267-298. ISBN 9783319516394.9783319516394http://hdl.handle.net/10198/15417Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is currently one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative disorders, directly related to increasing rates of morbidity and autonomy impairment between worldwide citizens. Social and demographical changes are direct contributors; notwithstanding, modern lifestyle, oxidative stress and its related diseases, and, consequently, premature aging are also important triggering factors (Sun et al. 2008; Ngo and Li 2013). Numerous drugs have been developed mainly to act as symptomatic agents, despite the serious side effects and increasing evidences of lack of effectiveness. Most of them were derived from plant-mimetic synthesis, but tenuous differences on their chemical structure and also the occurrence of synergisms in the pool of the whole plant phytochemicals are sufficient to provide considerable influences on the final biological potential (Ngo and Li 2013; Katalini et al. 2014; Ahmed et al. 2015). The use of medicinal plants, mainly through botanical preparations, is a millenary practice, which has been effectively used for a multitude of health conditions (Vanaclocha and Cañigueral 2003; Murray 2004; Murray and Pizzorno 2012). The interest for natural matrices is still increasing, not only to confirm its bioactive potential, but also to deepen knowledge on the modes of action, metabolism, bioavailability, bioefficacy, and active concentrations, aiming to develop upcoming and safer alternatives to the current ones. Among them, plant phytochemicals have shown to have promissory neurocognitive properties. In this sense, the present chapter aims to provide systematic information about the use of plant-food-derived bioactive molecules with evident in vitro and in vivo neuroprotective and neuroregenerative effects.engbook part10.1007/978-3-319-51639-4_11