Diterpenes and the crosstalk with the arachidonic acid pathways, relevance in neurodegeneration

Dementia has emerged as one of the main threats to human health in the modern civilization. Increased aging of world population and unhealthy lifestyle habits have been identified as critical factors able to facilitate dementia establishment. In this context, according to the Alzheimer’s Research International, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) constitutes the primary cause of dementia worldwide and its numbers are expected to grow during the following years. Clinically, AD is characterized by the progressive decline in the cognitive performance as well as by an altered social behavior. Initially affecting the short-term memory, the long-term memory becomes compromised as the pathology progresses.