Nootropic and Anti-Alzheimer’s Actions of Medicinal Plants: Molecular Insight into Therapeutic Potential to Alleviate Alzheimer’s Neuropathology

Md Sahab Uddin*, Abdullah Al Mamun, Md Tanvir Kabir, Md Jakaria, Bijo Mathew, George E. Barreto, Ghulam Md Ashraf

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

86 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Medicinal plants are the backbone of modern medicine. In recent times, there is a great urge to discover nootropic medicinal plants to reverse cognitive dysfunction owing to their less adverse effects. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the inevitable loss of cognitive function, memory and language impairment, and behavioral disturbances, which turn into gradually more severe. Alzheimer’s has no current cure, but symptomatic treatments are available and research continues. The number of patients suffering from AD continues to rise and today, there is a worldwide effort under study to find better ways to alleviate Alzheimer’s pathogenesis. In this review, the nootropic and anti-Alzheimer’s potentials of 6 medicinal plants (i.e., Centella asiatica, Clitoria ternatea, Crocus sativus, Terminalia chebula, Withania somnifera, and Asparagus racemosus) were explored through literature review. This appraisal focused on available information about neuroprotective and anti-Alzheimer’s use of these plants and their respective bioactive compounds/metabolites and associated effects in animal models and consequences of its use in human as well as proposed molecular mechanisms. This review progresses our existing knowledge to reveal the promising linkage of traditional medicine to halt AD pathogenesis. This analysis also avowed a new insight to search the promising anti-Alzheimer’s drugs.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)4925-4944
Number of pages20
JournalMolecular Neurobiology
Volume56
Issue number7
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jul 2019
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • Cognitive enhancers
  • Medicinal plants
  • Neurofibrillary tangles
  • Nootropics
  • Senile plaques

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Nootropic and Anti-Alzheimer’s Actions of Medicinal Plants: Molecular Insight into Therapeutic Potential to Alleviate Alzheimer’s Neuropathology'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this