Towards A New Frontier in Alzheimer's Disease Treatment: Promising Medicinal Plants and Bioactive Compounds
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: A neurological disorder that deteriorates with age, Alzheimer's disease (AD) is typified by significant cognitive impairment, memory loss, and aberrant behaviour. There is currently no cure, despite much investigation, and the only relief offered by existing medications is symptomatic. The creation of efficient therapeutic approaches is essential given the rising prevalence of AD worldwide. Recent advances in our knowledge of the pathophysiology of AD have led to the discovery of novel therapy targets, increasing the likelihood of more direct involvement in the disease process. Clinical research is currently being conducted on a number of Ayurvedic medicinal herbs that are gaining attention as potential sources of bioactive compounds. These herbs may help control the symptoms and course of AD because they include substances including lignans, flavonoids, tannins, and polyphenols that have a variety of pharmacological actions, such as anti-inflammatory, anti-amyloidogenic, and antioxidant properties. Despite these encouraging results, there are only five licensed medication therapies for AD at this time, and they mostly target symptom management rather than slowing the disease's progression. Recent research emphasizes the importance of early diagnosis using state of the art techniques including cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers and amyloid PET scans. This may facilitate the implementation of disease-modifying therapies during the preclinical stages of AD, when neurodegeneration is not yet clinically noticeable. Even though new clinical trials like the ones looking into aducanumab show promising results, care must be taken when interpreting them. Even while disease-modifying medications might someday postpone the onset of dementia, much more study needs to be done before they are generally accessible. This review emphasizes the promise of both conventional pharmacological and Ayurvedic approaches in offering innovative treatment choices for AD, highlighting the necessity of further research to identify and evaluate effective disease-modifying therapies.
Author: Nandkishor Chavan, Dr. Raghunath Wadulkar, Dr. Kranti Satpute, Sushil Bhalerao, Sanika Futane
Language: English
Subfield: Complementary and alternative medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W6930920271
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