Skip to main content

Alzheimer’s Disease and Medicinal Plants: An Overview

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
The Benefits of Natural Products for Neurodegenerative Diseases

Part of the book series: Advances in Neurobiology ((NEUROBIOL,volume 12))

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is progressive neurodegenerative disorder and identified as a major health concern globally. Individuals with AD and their care givers are affected in personal, emotional, financial, and social levels. Due to its significant impact and heavy burden on the individual, the patients’ families, and society, it is highly needed to search for cost effective, long-time retention therapeutic targets. In recent decades, there are lots of research conducted the possible benefit of natural products and their active components on AD and other neurodegenerative disease, which are discussed here.

An erratum to this chapter can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28383-8_24

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Anonymous. Compendium of pharmaceuticals and specialties. 25th ed. Toronto, Canada: Canadian Pharmacists Association; 2000.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aprahamian I, Stella F, Forlenza OV. New treatment strategies for Alzheimer’s disease: is there a hope? Indian J Med Res. 2013;138:449–60.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Barnes DE, Yaffe K. The projected effect of risk factor reduction on Alzheimer’s disease prevalence. Lancet Neurol. 2011;10:819–28.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Bertoni-Freddari C, Fattoretti P, Casoli T, Di Stefano G, Balietti M, Giorgetti B, Perretta G. Neuronal apoptosis in Alzheimer's disease: the role of age-related mitochondrial metabolic competence. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2009;1171:18–24.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Borenstein AR, Copenhaver CI, Mortimer JA. Early-life risk factors for Alzheimer disease. Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord. 2006;20:63–72.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brenner GM. Pharmacology. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Company; 2000.

    Google Scholar 

  • Choi YT, Jung CH, Lee SR, Bae JH, Baek WK, Suh MH, Park J, Park CW, Suh SI. The green tea polyphenol(−)epigallocatechin gallate attenuates betaamyloid-induce neurotoxicity in cultured hippocampal neurons. Life Sci. 2011;70:603–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chonpathompikunlert P, Wattanathorn J, Muchimapura S. Piperine, the main alkaloid of Thai black pepper, protects against neurodegeneration and cognitive impairment in animal model of cognitive deficit like condition of Alzheimer’s disease. Food Chem Toxicol. 2010;48:798–802.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Currais A, Chiruta C, Goujon-Svrzic M, Costa G, Santos T, Batista MT, Paiva J, do Céu Madureira M, Maher P. Screening and identification of neuroprotective compounds relevant to Alzheimer’s disease from medicinal plants of S. Tomé e Príncipe. J Ethnopharmacol. 2014;155:830–40.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Figueiró M, Ilha J, Linck VM, Herrmann AP, Nardin P, Menezes CB, Achaval M, Gonçalves CA, Porciúncula LO, Nunes DS, Elisabetsky E. The Amazonian herbal Marapuama attenuates cognitive impairment and neuroglial degeneration in a mouse Alzheimer model. Phytomedicine. 2011;18:327–33.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Florent-Bechard S, Malaplate-Armand C, Koziel V, Kriem B, Olivier JL, Pillot T, Oster T. Towards a nutritional approach for prevention of Alzheimer’s disease: biochemical and cellular aspects. J Neurol Sci. 2007;262:27–36.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fonteh AN, Cipolla M, Chiang J, Arakaki X, Harrington MG. Human cerebrospinal fluid fatty acid levels differ between supernatant fluid and brain-derived nanoparticle fractions, and are altered in Alzheimer’s disease. PLoS One. 2014;9:e100519. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0100519.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Fujiwara H, Takayama S, Iwasaki K, Tabuchi M, Yamaguchi T, Sekiguchi K, Ikarashi Y, Kudo Y, Kase Y, Arai H, Yaegashi N. Yokukansan, a traditional Japanese medicine, ameliorates memory disturbance and abnormal social interaction with anti-aggregation effect of cerebral amyloid β proteins in amyloid precursor protein transgenic mice. Neuroscience. 2011;180:305–13.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gottwald MD, Rozanski RI. Rivastigmine a brainregion selective acetylcholinesterase inhibitor for treating Alzheimer’s disease: review and current status. Expert Opin Invest Drug. 1999;8:1673–82.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hage S, Kienlen-Campard P, Octave JN, Quetin-Leclercq J. In vitro screening on β-amyloid peptide production of plants used in traditional medicine for cognitive disorders. J Ethnopharmacol. 2010;131:585–91.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hebert LE, Weuve J, Scherr PA, Evans DA. Alzheimer disease in the United States (2010–2050) estimated using the 2010 census. Neurology. 2013;80:1778–83.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Hu N, Yu JT, Tan L, Wang YL, Sun L, Tan L. Nutrition and the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease. Biomed Res Int. 2013;2013:524820.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Huang CH. The pharmacology of Chinese herbs. London: CRC Press; 1999. p. 106–7. 155–6, 187–9, 459–72.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ingkaninan K, Temkitthawon P, Chuenchom K, Yuyaem T, Thongnoi W. Screening for acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity in plants used in Thai traditional rejuvenating and neurotonic remedies. J Ethnopharmacol. 2003;89:261–4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Irvine GB, El-Agnaf OM, Shankar GM, Walsh DM. Protein aggregation in the brain: the molecular basis for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Mol Med. 2008;14:451–64.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Kalaria NR, Maestre G, Arizaga R, Friedland RP, Galasko D, Hall K, Luchsinger JA, Ogunniyi A, Perry EK, Potocnik F, Prince M, Stewart R, Wimo A, Zhang ZX, Antuono P. Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia in developing countries: prevalence, management, and risk factors. Lancet Neurol. 2008;7:812–26.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Kelly CA, Harvey RJ, Cayton H. Drug treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. Br Med J. 1997;314:693–4.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kim HG, Oh MS. Herbal medicines for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Curr Pharm Des. 2012;18:57–75.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kim SR, Hwang SY, Jang YP, Park MJ, Markelonis GJ, Oh TH, Kim YC. Protopine from Corydalis ternate has anticholinesterase and antiamnesic activities. Planta Med. 1998;65:218–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kuratko CN, Barrett EC, Nelson EB, Norman S. The relationship of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) with learning and behavior in healthy children: a review. Nutrients. 2013;5:2777–810.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Lin HQ, Ho MT, Lau LS, Wong KK, Shaw PC, Wan DC. Anti-acetylcholinesterase activities of traditional Chinese medicine for treating Alzheimer’s disease. Chem Biol Interact. 2008;175:352–4.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Liu M, Bian C, Zhang J, Wen F. Apolipoprotein E gene polymorphism and Alzheimer’s disease in Chinese population: a meta-analysis. Sci Rep. 2014;4:4383.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Lopez S, Bastida J, Viladomat F, Codina C. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity of some Amaryllidaceae alkaloids and Narcissus extracts. Life Sci. 2002;71:2521–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ma TC, Yu CH. Pharmacological studies on the effect of Panax ginseng in learning and memory. Clin Tradit Herbal Drugs. 1990;21:38–40.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mattson MP, Meffert MK. Roles for NF-jB in nerve cell survival, plasticity, and disease. Cell Death Differ. 2006;13:852–60.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mukherjee PK, Kumar V, Mal M, Houghton PJ. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors from plants. Phytomedicine. 2007;14:289–300.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Oh MH, Houghton PJ, Whang WK, Cho JH. Screening of Korean herbal medicines used to improve cognitive function for anti-cholinesterase activity. Phytomedicine. 2004;11:544–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ono K, Hamaguchi T, Naiki H, Yamada M. Anti-amyloidogenic effects of antioxidants: implications for the prevention and therapeutics of Alzheimer’s disease. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2006;1762:575–86.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ono K, Yoshiike Y, Takashima A, Hasegawa K, Naiki H, Yamada M. Potent anti-amyloidogenic and fibril-destabilizing effects of polyphenols in vitro: implications for the prevention and therapeutics of Alzheimer’s disease. J Neurochem. 2003;87:172–81.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ozarowski M, Mikolajczak PL, Bogacz A, Gryszczynska A, Kujawska M, Jodynis-Liebert J, Piasecka A, Napieczynska H, Szulc M, Kujawski R, Bartkowiak-Wieczorek J, Cichocka J, Bobkiewicz-Kozlowska T, Czerny B, Mrozikiewicz PM. Rosmarinus officinalis L. leaf extract improves memory impairment and affects acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase activities in rat brain. Fitoterapia. 2013;91:261–71.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Park CH, Kim SH, Choi W, Lee YJ, Kim JS, Kang SS, Suh YH. Novel anticholinesterase and antiamnesic activities of dehydroevodiamine, a constitute of Evodia rutaecarpa. Planta Med. 1996;62:405–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pereira DM, Ferreres F, Oliveira J, Valentão P, Andrade PB, Sottomayor M. Targeted metabolite analysis of Catharanthus roseus and its biological potential. Food Chem Toxicol. 2009;47:1349–54.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Qiu C, Kivipelto M, Strauss EV. Epidemiology of Alzheimer’s disease: occurrence, determinants, and strategies toward intervention. Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2009;11:111–28.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Qiu C. Epidemiological findings of vascular risk factors in Alzheimer’s disease: implications for therapeutic and preventive intervention. Expert Rev Neurother. 2011;11:1593–607.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Querfurth HW, LaFerla FM. Alzheimer’s disease. N Engl J Med. 2010;362:329–44.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rahman AU, Choudhary MI. Bioactive natural products as a potential source of new pharmacophores a theory of memory. Pure Appl Chem. 2001;73:555–60.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rodríguez JJ, Ferri CP, Acosta D, Guerra M, Prince M. Prevalence of dementia in Latin America, India, and China: a population-based crosssectional survey. Lancet. 2008;372:464–74.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Scalmana S, Napoli AD, Franco F, Vanacore N, Lallo DD, Giarrizzo ML. Use of health and social care services in a cohort of Italian dementia patients. Funct Neurol. 2013;28:265–73.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schneider P, Hampel H, Buerger K. Biological marker candidates of Alzheimer’s disease in blood, plasma, and serum. CNS Neurosci Ther. 2009;15:358–74.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schott JM, Revesz T. Inflammation in Alzheimer’s disease: insights from immunotherapy. Brain. 2013;136:2652–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scott LJ, Goa KL. Galantamine: a review of its use in Alzheimer’s disease. Drugs. 2000;60:1095–122.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Seo JS, Yun JH, Baek IS, Leem YH, Kang HW, Cho HK, Lyu YS, Son HJ, Han PL. Oriental medicine Jangwonhwan reduces Abeta(1-42) level and beta-amyloid deposition in the brain of Tg-APPswe/PS1dE9 mouse model of Alzheimer disease. J Ethnopharmacol. 2010;128:206–12.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sepeic K, Marcel V, Klaebe A, Turk T, Suput D, Fourneir D. Inhibition of acetylcholinesterase by an alkylpyridinium polymer from the marine sponge, Reniera sarai. Biochim Biophys. 1998;1387:217–25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shao R, Xiao J. Natural products for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and related diseases: understanding their mechanism of action. Curr Neuropharmacol. 2013;11:337.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Shivakumar L, Gouda Shivaraj T, Venkat Rao N, Shalam RV. Evaluation of memory enhancing activity of SR-105 in experimental animals. IJRAP. 2011;2:973–7.

    Google Scholar 

  • Siqueira IR, Fochesatto C, da Silva AL, Nunes DS, Battastini AM, Netto CA, Elisabetsky E. Ptychopetalum olacoides, a traditional Amazonian “nerve tonic”, possesses anticholinesterase activity. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2003;75:645–50.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sperlinga RA, Aisenb PS, Beckettc LA, Bennettd DA, Crafte S, Faganf AM, Iwatsubog T, Jack CR, Kayei J. Toward defining the preclinical stages of Alzheimer’s disease: recommendations from the National Institute on Aging-Alzheimer’s Association workgroups on diagnostic guidelines for Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimers Dement. 2011;7:280–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Su Y, Wang Q, Wang C, Chan K, Sun Y, Kuang H. The treatment of Alzheimer’s disease using Chinese medicinal plants: from disease models to potential clinical applications. J Ethnopharmacol. 2014;152:403–23.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sun Y, Wang M, Ren Q, Li S, Xu J, Ohizumi Y, Xie C, Jin DQ, Guo Y. Two novel clerodane diterpenenes with NGF-potentiating activities from the twigs of Croton yanhuii. Fitoterapia. 2014;95:229–33.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Uabundit N, Wattanathorn J, Mucimapura S, Ingkaninan K. Cognitive enhancement and neuroprotective effects of Bacopa monnieri in Alzheimer’s disease model. J Ethnopharmacol. 2010;127:26–31.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Whitehouse PJ. Cholinergic therapy in dementia. Acta Neurol. 1993;149:42–5.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wimo A, Prince MJ. World Alzheimer report 2010. The global economic impact of dementia. Alzheimer’s Disease International. 2010.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yassin NAZ, El-Shenawy SMA, Mahdy KA, Gouda NAM, Marrie AEH, Farrag ARH, Ibrahim BMM. Effect of Boswellia serrata on Alzheimer’s disease induced in rats. J Arab Soc Med Res. 2013;8:1–11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zandi PP, Anthony JC, Khachaturian AS, Stone SV, Gustafson D, Tschanz JT, Norton MC, Welsh-Bohmer KA, Breitner JC. Cache County Study Group Reduced risk of Alzheimer disease in users of antioxidant vitamin supplements: the Cache County Study. Arch Neurol. 2004;61:82–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zilkova M, Koson P. The hunt for dying neurons: insight into the neuronal loss in Alzheimer’s disease. Bratisl Lek Listy. 2006;107:366–73.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao Y, Zhao B. Oxidative stress and the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2013;2013:25–34.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Compliance with Ethics Requirements

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. Manoharan .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Manoharan, S., Essa, M.M., Vinoth, A., Kowsalya, R., Manimaran, A., Selvasundaram, R. (2016). Alzheimer’s Disease and Medicinal Plants: An Overview. In: Essa, M., Akbar, M., Guillemin, G. (eds) The Benefits of Natural Products for Neurodegenerative Diseases. Advances in Neurobiology, vol 12. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28383-8_6

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics