Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by the progressive loss of neurons in different regions of the nervous system. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD) are the two most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases, and the symptoms associated with these pathologies are closely related to the regions that are most affected by the process of neurodegeneration. Despite their high prevalence, currently, there is no cure or disease-modifying drugs for the treatment of these conditions. In the last decades, due to the need for the development of new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, several authors have investigated the neuroprotective actions of naturally occurring molecules, such as resveratrol. Resveratrol is a stilbene found in several plants, including grapes, blueberries, raspberries, and peanuts. Studies have shown that resveratrol presents neuroprotective actions in experimental models of AD and PD, however, its clinical application is limited due to its rapid metabolism and low bioavailability. In this context, studies have proposed that structural changes in the resveratrol molecule, including glycosylation, alkylation, halogenation, hydroxylation, methylation, and prenylation could lead to the development of derivatives with enhanced bioavailability and pharmacological activity. Therefore, this review article aims to discuss how resveratrol derivatives could represent viable molecules in the search for new drugs for the treatment of AD and PD.

The prevalence of smokers among blood donors and the effect of smoking on the quality of donated blood have not been extensively explored. In the present study, we determined the prevalence of smoker donors in a large blood bank in Southern Brazil and evaluated the quality of packed red blood cells (RBCs) from these donors through recommended quality control tests and measurement of carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) levels. We then assessed the influence of smoking habits and abstinence before donation on these parameters. An observational study was conducted to determine the prevalence of smoking donors, while a prospective cohort study compared conventional hematological and serological parameters and COHb levels at 0, 15, and 30 days after donation in RBCs donated by smokers (N = 31) and nonsmokers (N = 31) and their association with smoking habits and abstinence before donation. Of 14,428 blood donations received in 1 year, 5.9% were provided by smokers. Storage over time slightly altered some quality parameters, such as hematocrit, hemoglobin, hemolysis, and COHb levels, in RBC packs. COHb levels were higher in RBC packs from smokers (8%) than from non-smokers (2%), and increased as a function of the number of cigarettes smoked daily and time elapsed since the last cigarette smoked before donation. Lower levels were found in RBC packs from donors who smoked fewer than 20 cigarettes per day or remained abstinent for more than 12h before giving blood. Although cigarette smoke had no significant effect on blood quality parameters such as hematocrit, hemoglobin, or hemolysis, it quadrupled COHb levels in packed RBCs. Abstinence from smoking for more than 12h or smoking fewer than 20 cigarettes daily helped decrease COHb levels. Given the increasing prevalence of tobacco use worldwide, we suggest blood banks recommend 12h of tobacco abstinence before donation and analyze COHb levels in donated blood as an approach to reduce risk for high-risk recipients.