Glycerophospholipid and sphingolipid-derived lipid mediators facilitate the transfer of messages not only from one cell to another but also from one subcellular organelle to another. These molecules are not only components of neural membranes but also storage depots for lipid mediators. Information on the generation and involvement of lipid mediators in neurological disorders is scattered throughout the literature in the form of original papers and reviews. This book will provide readers with a comprehensive description of glycerophospholipid, sphingolipid and cholesterol-derived lipid mediators and their involvement in neurological disorders.

The purpose of this book is to present readers with cutting edge and comprehensive information on lipid mediators in a manner that is useful not only to students and teachers but also to researchers and physicians. This monograph has 11 chapters. Chapters 1 and 2 describe the generation of various lipid mediators from neural membrane glycerophospholipids, sphingolipids, and cholesterol, and their involvement and roles in signal transduction processes. Chapters 3 and 4 describe cutting edge information on roles of various isoforms and paralogs of phospholipases A2 in the generation of glycerophospholipid-derived lipid mediators and interactions among phospholipases A2, C, and D in the nucleus. Chapter 5 describes metabolism and roles of bioactive ether lipids in brain. Chapters 6 and 7 are devoted to excitotoxicity-mediated modulation of lipid mediators in neurological disorders and recent developments in kainic acid-induced neurotoxicity. Chapters 8 and 9 describe the health benefits of n-3 fatty acids (docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic acids) in diet, the mechanisms of their action in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular systems, and comparison of n-3 fatty acid s effect with cholesterol lowering drugs (statins). Chapter 10 describes the contribution of neural membrane lipids in apoptosis and necrosis. Finally, Chapter 11 provides readers and researchers with a perspective that will be important for future research work on bioactive lipid mediators.

This book will be particularly accessible to neuroscience graduate students and teachers, as well as researchers. It can be used as a supplemental text for a range of neuroscience courses. Clinicians and pharmacologists will find this book useful for understanding molecular aspects of lipid mediators in neurodegeneration in acute neural trauma (stroke, spinal cord trauma and head injury) and neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, and Huntington disease). This monograph will be the first to provide a comprehensive description of glycerophospholipid, sphingolipid, and cholesterol-derived mediators, their interactions with each other in normal brain and in brain tissue from neurological disorders.

This is the first book on the market that explores the importance of curcumin for the treatment of neurological disorders. It has been estimated that 35.6 million people globally had dementia in 2010 and the prevalence of dementia has been predicted to double every 20 years. Thus, 115.4 million people may be living with dementia in 2050. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia and is present in 60%-70% of people with dementia. Unless new discoveries are made in the prevention or treatment of AD, the number of cases in the US alone is estimated to increase threefold, to 13.2 million by the year 2050. Thus, it is important to focus on delaying and treating the onset of AD by curcumin may be an important step for controlling AD. Regular consumption of healthy diet containing curcumin enriched foods, moderate exercise, and regular sleep may produce beneficial effects not only on motor and cognitive functions, but also on memory deficits that occur to some extent during normal aging and to a large extent in AD. Delaying the onset and progression of AD and improving its symptoms by few years with regular consumption of curcumin may relieve some of the burden on health care systems. In service of this goal, this volume gives readers a comprehensive and cutting edge description of the importance of curcumin for the treatment of AD in cell culture and animal models in a manner that is useful not only to students and teachers but also to researchers, dietitians, nutritionists and physicians. It can be used as supplement text for a range of neuroscience and nutrition courses. Clinicians, neuroscientists, neurologists and pharmacologists will find this book useful for understanding molecular aspects of AD treatment by curcumin.

Collectively, neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by chronic and progressive loss of neurons in discrete areas of the brain, producing debilitating symptoms such as dementia, loss of memory, loss of sensory or motor capability, decreased overall quality of life eventually leading to premature death. Two types of cell death are known to occur during neurodegeneration: (a) apoptosis and (b) necrosis. The necrosis is characterized by the passive cell swelling, intense mitochondrial damage with rapid loss of ATP, alterations in neural membrane permeability, high calcium influx, and disruption of ion homeostasis. This type of cell death leads to membrane lysis and release of intracellular components that induce inflammatory reactions. Necrotic cell death normally occurs at the core of injury site. In contrast, apoptosis is an active process in which caspases (a group of endoproteases with specificity for aspartate residues in protein) are stimulated. Apoptotic cell death is accompanied by cell shrinkage, dynamic membrane blebbing, chromatin condensation, DNA laddering, loss of phospholipids asymmetry, low ATP levels, and mild calcium overload. This type of cell death normally occurs in penumbral region at the ischemic injury site and in different regions in various neurodegenerative diseases.

Lipid Mediators and Their Metabolism in the Brain presents readers with cutting edge and comprehensive information not only on the synthesis and degradation of glycerophospholipid-, sphingolipid-, and cholesterol-derived lipid mediators, but also their involvement in neurological disorders. It is hoped that this monograph will be useful not only to postgraduate student and their teachers, but also to research scientists and physicians, who are curious about the generation and roles of lipid mediators in the brain.

The purpose of this monograph is to present readers with a comprehensive and cutting edge description of neurochemical effects of diet (beneficial and harmful effects) in normal human brain and to discuss how present day diet promotes pathogenesis of stroke, AD, PD, and depression in a manner that is useful not only to students and teachers but also to researchers, dietitians, nutritionists and physicians. A diet in sufficient amount and appropriate macronutrients is essential for optimal health of human body tissues. In brain, over-nutrition, particularly with high-calorie diet, not only alters cellular homeostasis, but also results in changes in the intensity of signal transduction processes in reward centers of the brain resulting in food addiction. Over-nutrition produces detrimental effects on human health in general and brain health in particular because it chronically increases the systemic and brain inflammation and oxidative stress along with induction of insulin resistance and leptin resistance in the brain as well as visceral organs. Onset of chronic inflammation and oxidative stress not only leads to obesity and heart disease, but also promotes type II diabetes and metabolic syndrome, which are risk factors for both acute neural trauma (stroke) and chronic age-related neurodegenerative and neuropsychological disorders, such as Alzheimer disease (AD), Parkinson disease (PD) and depression.

Metabolic syndrome as an important risk factor for stroke, Alzheimer disease, and depression presents readers with cutting edge and comprehensive information on relationship among metabolic syndrome, stroke, Alzheimer disease, and depression. It is hoped that this monograph will be useful to postgraduate students, faculty, research scientists, pharmacologists, nutritionists, and physicians, who are curious about the molecular mechanisms that link metabolic syndrome with stroke, Alzheimer disease, and depression.

About 40% of central nervous system synapses use glutamate as the neurotransmitter. Over-stimulation of glutamate receptors produces neuronal injury or death by excitotoxicity, which is closely associated with neurochemical and neuropathological changes involved in acute neural trauma (stroke, spinal cord trauma, and head injury) and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, Huntington disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Guam-type amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/Parkinson dementia (ALS/PDC), and multiple sclerosis.

In the past decade, our understanding of the biochemistry, molecular biology, and neuropathology of the glutamate transporters and receptors has exploded. It is becoming increasingly evident that molecular mechanisms, which govern the transfer of the death signal from the neural cell surface to the nucleus, depend on lipid mediators and on cross talk among excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation, and that interactions among these three processes play a major role in neuronal cell death during acute neural trauma and neurodegenerative disease. These processes may be primary initiating points in neurodegeneration or they may be the end result of the neurodegenerative process itself.

Neurochemical Aspects of Excitotoxicity provides extensive insight into glutamate transporters and receptors, including their role in the brain with other neurochemical parameters in excitotoxicity, and possible treatments. This book will be of interest scientists already working in the field of excitotoxicity who are interested in gaining a broader understanding of this complicated subject area, aswell as graduate students and neurologists who are curious about a common cause of neuronal injury and neurological disorders.

Phytochemicals Signal Transduction and Neurological Disorders Phytochemicals are heterogeneous group of bioactive compounds produced by plants, which are extensively researched by scientists for their health-promoting potentials in human diseases. Unlike vitamins and minerals, phytochemicals are not required for sustaining cell viability, but they play an important role in protecting tissues and cells from the harmful effects of oxidative stress and inflammation. Examples of phytochemicals include catechins, resveratrol, ginkgo biloba, curcumin, and sulfur compounds found in garlic. Although, the precise molecular mechanisms associated with beneficial effects of phytochemicals still remain the subject of intense investigations, but it is becoming increasingly evident that phytochemicals mediate their effects by counteracting, reducing, and repairing the damage caused by oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. In addition, phytochemicals also stimulate the synthesis of adaptive enzymes and proteins through the stimulation of a transcription factor called Nrf2 and induction of phase II detoxifying enzymes. Consumption of phytochemicals induces neurohormetic response that results in the expression of adaptive stress-resistance genes that are responsible for encoding antioxidant enzymes, protein chaperones, and neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Based on the stimulation of signal transduction network and adaptive stress-resistance genes, it is proposed that the use of phytochemicals from childhood to old age along with regular exercise is an important strategy for maintaining normal aging and delaying onset of age-related neurological disorders (stroke, Alzheimer disease, and Parkinson disease). Phytochemicals Signal Transduction and Neurological Disorders presents readers with cutting edge and comprehensive information not only on bioavailability, and mechanism of action of phytochemicals in the brain, but also provides the molecular mechanism associated with beneficial effects of phytochemicals in neurotraumatic (stroke, spinal cord trauma, and traumatic brain injury) and neurodegenerative (Alzheimers disease, Parkinson disease, Huntington disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) diseases.

This volume provides readers with a comprehensive description of phospholipid metabolism in brain, activities of phospholipases A2, and their involvement in neurological disorders. The purpose of this book is to present readers with cutting edge information in a lively manner that is useful not only to student and teachers but also to researchers and physicians. This book has 14 chapters that will describe (1) the metabolism in brain of glycerophospholipids, including those containing a vinyl ether group (plasmalogens); (2) cutting edge information on the properties and roles of phospholipases A2 in the central nervous system; (3) the release by phospholipases A2 of second messengers (arachidonic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, and lysophospholipid) from neural membrane phospholipids and their neurochemical effects on brain metabolism and functions; (4) the involvement of phospholipases A2 in neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders, and the use of phospholipase A2 inhibitors for the treatment of diseases associated with altered phospholipid metabolism; and (5) methods for the assays of phospholipases A2 and their clinical significance.

Unless new discoveries are made in the prevention or treatment of stroke, Alzheimer's Disease and depression, the number of patients with these diseases is sure to increase dramatically by the year 2050. Thus, developing strategies to retard or delay the onset of stroke, AD and depression these neurological disorders is of critical important. The present monograph will provide current and comprehensive information on the relationship between neuroinflammation and oxidative stress in age-related neurological disorders at the molecular level. The information described in this monograph on lifestyle (diet and exercise), genes and age is intended to facilitate and promote new discoveries for the treatment of age-related neurological disorders.

It is becoming increasingly evident that the deficiency of n-3 fatty acids in diet is not only associated with cardiovascular diseases, but also involved in stroke, epilepsy and other neurological and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, and peroxisomal diseases. In his newest book, Beneficial Effects of Fish Oil on Human Brain, Dr. Akhlaq A. Farooqui expands on the status and therapeutic importance of n-3 fatty acids (major components of fish oil) and their mediators in normal brain and those with neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases. Farooqui presents the benefits of n-3 fatty acids on Western diet, which is enriched in n-6 fatty acids (major components of vegetable oil) and may promote the above neurological disorders. The book will present readers with cutting edge and comprehensive information on metabolism and roles of neural membrane n-3 fatty acids.

Neuroscientists, clinicians, neurologists, neuropathologists, opthamologists, dietitians, and nutritionists will find this book useful for understanding the molecular basis of n-3 fatty acids and their lipid mediators (resolvins and neuroprotectins) in neuroprotection in acute neural trauma (stroke, spinal cord trauma and head injury) and neurodegenerative diseases.

This is the first book on the market that explores the importance of curcumin for the treatment of neurological disorders. It has been estimated that 35.6 million people globally had dementia in 2010 and the prevalence of dementia has been predicted to double every 20 years. Thus, 115.4 million people may be living with dementia in 2050. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia and is present in 60%-70% of people with dementia. Unless new discoveries are made in the prevention or treatment of AD, the number of cases in the US alone is estimated to increase threefold, to 13.2 million by the year 2050. Thus, it is important to focus on delaying and treating the onset of AD by curcumin may be an important step for controlling AD. Regular consumption of healthy diet containing curcumin enriched foods, moderate exercise, and regular sleep may produce beneficial effects not only on motor and cognitive functions, but also on memory deficits that occur to some extent during normal aging and to a large extent in AD. Delaying the onset and progression of AD and improving its symptoms by few years with regular consumption of curcumin may relieve some of the burden on health care systems. In service of this goal, this volume gives readers a comprehensive and cutting edge description of the importance of curcumin for the treatment of AD in cell culture and animal models in a manner that is useful not only to students and teachers but also to researchers, dietitians, nutritionists and physicians. It can be used as supplement text for a range of neuroscience and nutrition courses. Clinicians, neuroscientists, neurologists and pharmacologists will find this book useful for understanding molecular aspects of AD treatment by curcumin.

Unless new discoveries are made in the prevention or treatment of stroke, Alzheimer's Disease and depression, the number of patients with these diseases is sure to increase dramatically by the year 2050. Thus, developing strategies to retard or delay the onset of stroke, AD and depression these neurological disorders is of critical important. The present monograph will provide current and comprehensive information on the relationship between neuroinflammation and oxidative stress in age-related neurological disorders at the molecular level. The information described in this monograph on lifestyle (diet and exercise), genes and age is intended to facilitate and promote new discoveries for the treatment of age-related neurological disorders.

It is becoming increasingly evident that the deficiency of n-3 fatty acids in diet is not only associated with cardiovascular diseases, but also involved in stroke, epilepsy and other neurological and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, and peroxisomal diseases. In his newest book, Beneficial Effects of Fish Oil on Human Brain, Dr. Akhlaq A. Farooqui expands on the status and therapeutic importance of n-3 fatty acids (major components of fish oil) and their mediators in normal brain and those with neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases. Farooqui presents the benefits of n-3 fatty acids on Western diet, which is enriched in n-6 fatty acids (major components of vegetable oil) and may promote the above neurological disorders. The book will present readers with cutting edge and comprehensive information on metabolism and roles of neural membrane n-3 fatty acids.

This volume provides a comprehensive description of phospholipid metabolism in brain, activities of phospholipases A2, and their involvement in neurological disorders. The purpose of this book is to present readers with cutting edge information in a lively manner that is useful not only to student and teachers but also to researchers and physicians.

About 40% of central nervous system synapses use glutamate as the neurotransmitter. Over-stimulation of glutamate receptors produces neuronal injury or death by excitotoxicity, which is closely associated with neurochemical and neuropathological changes involved in acute neural trauma (stroke, spinal cord trauma, and head injury) and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, Huntington disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Guam-type amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/Parkinson dementia (ALS/PDC), and multiple sclerosis.

In the past decade, our understanding of the biochemistry, molecular biology, and neuropathology of the glutamate transporters and receptors has exploded. It is becoming increasingly evident that molecular mechanisms, which govern the transfer of the death signal from the neural cell surface to the nucleus, depend on lipid mediators and on cross talk among excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation, and that interactions among these three processes play a major role in neuronal cell death during acute neural trauma and neurodegenerative disease. These processes may be primary initiating points in neurodegeneration or they may be the end result of the neurodegenerative process itself.

Neurochemical Aspects of Excitotoxicity provides extensive insight into glutamate transporters and receptors, including their role in the brain with other neurochemical parameters in excitotoxicity, and possible treatments. This book will be of interest scientists already working in the field of excitotoxicity who are interested in gaining a broader understanding of this complicated subject area, as well as graduate students and neurologists who are curious about a common cause of neuronal injury and neurological disorders.

Information on bioactive ether lipids and their involvement in neurological disorders is currently scattered throughout the literature. This book provides readers with a comprehensive description of metabolism of bioactive ether lipids in the brain, activities of enzymes involved in their metabolism, and their involvement in neurological disorders. It is the first book to describe the involvement of these lipids with abnormal signal transduction processes in neurological disorders.

Information on bioactive ether lipids and their involvement in neurological disorders is currently scattered throughout the literature. This book provides readers with a comprehensive description of metabolism of bioactive ether lipids in the brain, activities of enzymes involved in their metabolism, and their involvement in neurological disorders. It is the first book to describe the involvement of these lipids with abnormal signal transduction processes in neurological disorders.

Propolis is a natural product, collected by honeybees Apis mellifera, from various plant sources. Honeybees use it for the construction and repair of their hive as well as for defence purposes. Propolis has gained popularity in alternative medicine. It is extensively used as a popular remedy in foods and beverages. This book presents the chemical composition and biological activities of propolis from different regions of the globe.

Propolis is a natural product, collected by honeybees Apis mellifera, from various plant sources. Honeybees use it for the construction and repair of their hive as well as for defence purposes. Propolis has gained popularity in alternative medicine. It is extensively used as a popular remedy in foods and beverages. The purpose of this book is to present readers with an integrated view on molecular mechanisms of beneficial effects of propolis in acute and chronic humans. This book will provide current and comprehensive information on the protective effects of propolis on human health and treatment chronic human diseases.

Phytochemicals are health-protecting compounds of plant origin. They provide flavour and colour to edible fruits, plants, herbs and beverages. Health protecting effects of phytochemicals are due to anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral, antibacterial, anticarcinogenic, and cellular repair properties. There has been considerable interest in defining biological activities of phytochemicals at the molecular level. The effects of phytochemicals can be conducive, additive, synergistic, and antagonistic. Through these properties, phytochemicals modulate cellular differentiation, proliferation, oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis. This book presents an integrated view on molecular mechanisms of beneficial effects of phytochemicals action in acute and chronic humans.

Biogenic amines are naturally occurring amines that are derived by enzymic decarboxylation of the natural amino acids. They belong to a class of neurotransmitters including catecholamines (dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine), indolamine (serotonin), and imidazoleamine (histamine). Biogenic amines have great pharmacological and physiological importance. The main objective of this book is to present readers with comprehensive information on pharmacology, neurochemistry and molecular neurobiology of biogenic amine in the CNS of vertebrate and invertebrates in a single volume text. The book has been organised into chapters and sections to provide a better flow of information. Furthermore, this unique volume provides its readers with cutting edge information on biogenic amines. It can be used by graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, researchers, and scientists who work at the pharmaceutical industry as a handbook, which describes all aspects of biogenic amine metabolism.

Diet and exercise have long been recognized as important components of a healthy lifestyle, as they have a great impact on improving cardiovascular and cerebrovascular functions, lowering the risk of metabolic disorders, and contributing to healthy aging. As a greater proportion of the world s population is living longer, there has been increased interest in understanding the role of nutrition and exercise in long-term neurological health and cognitive function. Diet and Exercise in Cognitive Function and Neurological Diseases discusses the role and impact that nutrition and activity have on cognitive function and neurological health. The book is divided into two sections. The first section focuses on diet and its impact on neurobiological processes. Chapters focus on the impacts of specific diets, such as the Mediterranean, ketogenic and vegan diets, as well as the role of specific nutrients, fats, fatty acids, and calorie restriction on neurological health and cognitive function. The second section of the book focuses on exercise, and its role in maintaining cognitive function, reducing neuroinflammatory responses, regulating adult neurogenesis, and healthy brain aging. Other chapters look at the impact of exercise in the management of specific neurological disorders such Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson s Disease. Diet and Exercise in Cognitive Function and Neurological Diseases is a timely reference on the neurobiological interplay between diet and exercise on long-term brain health and cognitive function.

Lipid Mediators and Their Metabolism in the Brain presents readers with cutting edge and comprehensive information not only on the synthesis and degradation of glycerophospholipid-, sphingolipid-, and cholesterol-derived lipid mediators, but also their involvement in neurological disorders. It is hoped that this monograph will be useful not only to postgraduate student and their teachers, but also to research scientists and physicians, who are curious about the generation and roles of lipid mediators in the brain.

Collectively, neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by chronic and progressive loss of neurons in discrete areas of the brain, producing debilitating symptoms such as dementia, loss of memory, loss of sensory or motor capability, decreased overall quality of life eventually leading to premature death. Two types of cell death are known to occur during neurodegeneration: (a) apoptosis and (b) necrosis. The necrosis is characterized by the passive cell swelling, intense mitochondrial damage with rapid loss of ATP, alterations in neural membrane permeability, high calcium influx, and disruption of ion homeostasis. This type of cell death leads to membrane lysis and release of intracellular components that induce inflammatory reactions. Necrotic cell death normally occurs at the core of injury site. In contrast, apoptosis is an active process in which caspases (a group of endoproteases with specificity for aspartate residues in protein) are stimulated. Apoptotic cell death is accompanied by cell shrinkage, dynamic membrane blebbing, chromatin condensation, DNA laddering, loss of phospholipids asymmetry, low ATP levels, and mild calcium overload. This type of cell death normally occurs in penumbral region at the ischemic injury site and in different regions in various neurodegenerative diseases.