Herbal Medicine: A Promising Approach for the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease

Thirupathirao Vishnumukkala; Prarthana Kalerammana Gopalakrishna; Saravanan Jagadeesan; Samaila Musa Chiroma; Nurul Huda Mohd Nor; Mohamad Taufik Hidayat Baharuldin; Warren Thomas; Mohamad Aris Mohd Moklas

doi:10.47070/ijapr.v12i1.3103

Thirupathirao Vishnumukkala Ph.D Candidate, Anatomy Unit, Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia. Lecturer, Department of Anatomy, Human Biology division, School of Medicine, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Prarthana Kalerammana Gopalakrishna Lecturer, Department of Physiology, Human Biology division, School of Medicine, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Saravanan Jagadeesan Associate Professor, Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Taylors University, Lakeside Campus, Selangor, Malaysia.
Samaila Musa Chiroma Senior Lecturer, Department of Anatomy, Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia, Johor Bahru, Malaysia.
Nurul Huda Mohd Nor Lecturer, Anatomy Unit, Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
Mohamad Taufik Hidayat Baharuldin Professor, Department of Preclinical, Faculty of Medicine and Defence Health, National Defence University of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Warren Thomas Associate Professor, Department of Human Biology, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland – Medical University of Bahrain, Al Sayh, Muharraq Governate, Kingdom of Bahrain.
Mohamad Aris Mohd Moklas Associate Professor, Anatomy Unit, Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.47070/ijapr.v12i1.3103

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease, Herbal medicine, Dementia, Memory loss.

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease manifesting in cognitive decline, impairment of memory, and behavioural deterioration. Alzheimer’s is a relatively common type of dementia. The pathological basis for the progression of Alzheimer's disease is beta-amyloid protein accumulation, phosphorylation of tau protein, abnormal glial cell function, inflammation, neurotransmitter imbalance, along with oxidative stress in brain tissue. Current available therapies are targeted at amelioration of symptoms alone and focus on a limited spectrum of pathophysiological processes. It is evident that it is essential to develop a multi-target therapeutic option in managing Alzheimer's disease, in view of the broad range of factors in disease progression and sever consequences for sufferers. Herbal medicines are seen as a potential resource in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, in view of their historical use in traditional medicine as neuroprotectants. Herbal medicines have been evaluated in animal studies designed to determine their capacity to prevent neurodegenerative disease and ameliorate memory defects. This review elaborates on the studies conducted on several medicinal plants that have been investigated for their potential in the prevention and treatment of memory defects in animal models.