Bioactive Compounds as Putative Molecules of Neuroplasticity: An Epigenetic Perspective

Abstract

Aging populations face rising Alzheimer’s disease (AD) incidence, with emerging links between epigenetic dysregulation and cognitive decline. Given their dynamic nature, epigenetic modifications offer potential targets for nutritional intervention, although current evidence remains largely correlational. This review presents a food science-oriented framework examining how dietary bioactive compounds may associate with neuroplasticity modulation through putative epigenetic pathways, including DNA methylation, histone modifications, chromatin remodeling, and noncoding RNAs. While certain food-derived ingredients have shown correlations with epigenetic regulation and gene expression related to synaptic plasticity, direct causal evidence in humans is lacking. We identify key epigenetic regulatory hubs as ingredient-responsive candidate targets, providing new criteria for efficacy assessment and functional food design. These associative insights generate testable hypotheses for developing epigenetic-based nutritional strategies aimed at preventing or delaying age-related cognitive decline, while critically highlighting the gap between correlational findings and causal demonstration.