**Hatasu Kobayashi 1, Mariko Murata 1, Shosuke Kawanishi <sup>2</sup> and Shinji Oikawa 1,\***


Received: 8 April 2020; Accepted: 13 May 2020; Published: 18 May 2020

**Abstract:** Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia among older people. Amyloid β (Aβ) aggregation has been the focus for a therapeutic target for the treatment of AD. Naturally occurring polyphenols have an inhibitory effect on Aβ aggregation and have attracted a lot of attention for the development of treatment strategies which could mitigate the symptoms of AD. However, considerable evidence has shown that the pro-oxidant mechanisms of polyphenols could have a deleterious effect. Our group has established an assay system to evaluate the pro-oxidant characteristics of chemical compounds, based on their reactivity with DNA. In this review, we have summarized the anti-Aβ aggregation and pro-oxidant properties of polyphenols. These findings could contribute to understanding the mechanism underlying the potential risk of polyphenols. We would like to emphasize the importance of assessing the pro-oxidant properties of polyphenols from a safety point of view.

**Keywords:** Amyloid β; Polyphenol; Pro-oxidant; Alzheimer's Disease
