Naringin and naringenin in neuroprotection and oxidative stress

Abstract The incidence of neurological diseases related to oxidative stress has increased substantially. Phenolic compounds constitute one of the important classes of plant metabolites that present a wide range of biological activities and are arising as alternatives in therapeutic medicine. Naringin and naringenin belong to this class of compounds and have been demonstrated an extensive variety of therapeutic benefits, mainly because of their antioxidant effect. Besides their direct effect on scavenging free radicals, they also interact with some signaling pathways involved in the redox response, thus, triggering an increase in the endogenous antioxidant defenses and promoting neuroprotection. Thereby, this chapter focuses on the antioxidant and neuroprotective effects of naringin and naringenin on neurological disorders.