Herbal Natural Products for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease: Promise and Challenge

Abstract

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative pathology characterized by impairment of cognitive functions and personality changes, accounting for around 50%-60% of the overall cases of dementia among persons over 60 years of age. The cerebral deposit of an insoluble peptide, called amyloid β-peptide, and the presence of neurofibrillary tangles are considered the neuropathological hallmarkers for the disease. Only five drugs are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of AD, although no treatment can reverse the neurodegeneration process caused by the disease. Actually the treatment provides a temporary relief of symptoms; it means that there is no cure for AD. Hence, in search for potentially useful substances for treatment of AD, the herbal natural products have played an important role in the pathology of the disease, not only acting on the cause, but also on its specific mechanisms.