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Effects of riboflavin in the treatment of brain damage caused by oxygen deprivation: an integrative systematic review.

  • 2023-12-14
  • Nutritional neuroscience 27(9)
    • Eulália Rebeca da Silva-Araújo
    • Raul Manhães-de-Castro
    • Paula Brielle Pontes
    • Diego Bulcão Visco
    • Diego Cabral Lacerda
    • Henrique José Cavalcanti Bezerra Gouveia
    • Ana Elisa Toscano

Study Design

Type
Systematic Review
Population
preclinical studies used B2 alone in models of hypoxia in rodents; human studies have administered riboflavin (5 mg) in combination with other Krebs cycle metabolites, except one study, which used only B2 (20 mg); children, adults and the elderly
Methods
systematic search; 21 articles selected, 8 preclinical and 12 clinical studies, and 1 translational study
Brain oxygen deprivation causes morphological damage involved in the formation of serious pathological conditions such as stroke and cerebral palsy. Therapeutic methods for post-hypoxia/anoxia injuries are limited and still have deficiencies in terms of safety and efficacy. Recently, clinical studies of stroke have reported the use of drugs containing riboflavin for post-injury clinical rehabilitation, however, the effects of vitamin B2 on exposure to cerebral oxygen deprivation are not completely elucidated. This review aimed to investigate the potential antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects of riboflavin in cerebral hypoxia/anoxia. After a systematic search, 21 articles were selected, 8 preclinical and 12 clinical studies, and 1 translational study. Most preclinical studies used B2 alone in models of hypoxia in rodents, with doses of 1-20 mg/kg (in vivo) and 0.5-5 µM (in vitro). Together, these works suggested greater regulation of lipid peroxidation and apoptosis and an increase in neurotrophins, locomotion, and cognition after treatment. In contrast, several human studies have administered riboflavin (5 mg) in combination with other Krebs cycle metabolites, except one study, which used only B2 (20 mg). A reduction in lactic acidosis and recovery of sensorimotor functions was observed in children after treatment with B2, while adults and the elderly showed a reduction in infarct volume and cognitive rehabilitation. Based on findings from preclinical and clinical studies, we conclude that the use of riboflavin alone or in combination acts beneficially in correcting the underlying brain damage caused by hypoxia/anoxia and its inflammatory, oxidative, and behavioral impairments.

Research Insights

Adverse Events Reported

  • Vitamin B2→Overall tolerability

    treatment was well tolerated

    Finding
    Reported
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