Nanotechnology, A Promising Tool to Combat the Pitfalls of The Phenolic Transport across Blood-Brain Barrier

The growing interest in natural polyphenols during the last years is aimed to identify new applications to these natural compounds of biological interest, as well as to design new uses in the field of health care. In this regard, to date, it has been demonstrated a wide range of positive health effects for phenolic compounds, being most research studies focused on the anti-oxidant, anti- inflammatory, anti-microbial, and anti-aging effects, while the biological potential demonstrated for these compounds have led to search for specific applications in the field of neurodegenerative diseases. Indeed, brain related diseases factors like antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacities, as well as proteins defibrillation and mitochondrial regulation have been pointed as the advantages of the use of all kind of phenolics. However, the transport of these molecules to can be prevented by specific biological barriers developed to protect these sensible structures. In this short review, the effects of phenolic compounds described in nervous tissues and cells, has been studied, as well as the downsides of their use, and how nanotechnology can help to provide new valuable alternatives to get enhanced biological impacts despite de constraint represented by the blood-brain barrier.