Figure 2.

Mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease and those of some components of the MD such as phenolic acids, anthocyanins, and flavonoids. Control over the Nrf2 pathway in neurons. Contribution of Nrf2 to the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. With Parkinson’s disease, an increase in dopamine release may have an impact on mitochondrial function, resulting in an increase in ROS levels that affect Nrf2 activity and the body’s response to oxidative damage. Moreover, the decline in Parkin and PINK expression levels discovered in PD may have an impact on the function of the mitochondrial system by causing depolarization, fragmentation, a respiratory deficit, and a reduction in ATP. These changes will have an impact on synaptic function and contribute to the cognitive decline and neurodegeneration seen in PD. In AD, the protein GSK-3, a Chinese medicine that promotes abnormal tau protein phosphorylation, promotes the degradation of Nrf2 as part of the proteasomal activity through the phosphorylation of Fyn. Moreover, in AD, activation of GSK-3 results in tau hyperphosphorylation, which may affect mitochondrial function. Following that, a buildup of tau pathological forms may lead to the development of neurofibrillary tangles (NFT), which are seen as a distinctive sign of AD.