huperzia varia

_-1_0

Author: Rositsa Tashkova, Master of Molecular Biology and Microbiology

_-1_1

_-1_2

With the development of medicine, our life expectancy has increased considerably within only a few decades. This allows us to spend much more time with our relatives and loved ones, but it is also a prerequisite for age-related diseases.&nbsp; Perhaps one of the most insidious of these is senile dementia, as it alters our personality, mental abilities, and memory.

_-1_3

The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer's disease. It is a neurodegenerative disease, in which plaque builds up in the brain over time, killing certain types of neurons, and causing changes in the transmission of nerve impulses in various important areas of the brain.

_-1_4

Currently available methods of treating Alzheimer's are not effective enough and have undesirable side effects. Therefore, in this article we will consider the treatment of the disease from the point of view of Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) - with the help of herbs and medicinal plants, which have the potential to slow down the development of the disease and are actively studied:

_-1_5

<ul>
<li>Sage (Salvia officinalis)</li>
<li>Ginkgo biloba</li>
<li>Toothed clubmoss or firmoss (Huperzia serrata)</li>
<li>Plants of the Amaryllidaceae family</li>
<li>Uncaria rhynchophylla - a type of cat's claw (diào gōu téng or fish hook vine)</li>
<li>Yuan zhi (Polygala tenuifolia)</li>
</ul>

_-1_6

The information was takenf rom the articles "Traditional Chinese medicines and Alzheimer's disease" [<a href="https://www.bioseek.eu/en/eng/research/pubmed/Traditional_Chinese_medicines_and_Alzheimer_s_disease_21791295" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref.1</a>] and "Herbaltherapy: a new pathway for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease" [<a href="https://www.bioseek.eu/en/eng/research/pubmed/Herbal_therapy_a_new_pathway_for_the_treatment_of_Alzheimer_s_disease_21067555" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref.2</a>].

Sage-(Salvia-officinalis)-and-ursolic-acid

Sage (Salvia officinalis) and ursolic acid

Sage-(Salvia-officinalis)-and-ursolic-acid_0_0

One of the promising medicinal plants in the fight against Alzheimer's is sage or also known as garden sage, common sage, or culinary sage. The main active substance in the herb leaves is ursolic acid. It is a pentacyclic triterpenoid found also in the wax layer of apples, in the fruit crusts, as well as in rosemary and thyme.

Sage-(Salvia-officinalis)-and-ursolic-acid_0_1

Sage-(Salvia-officinalis)-and-ursolic-acid_0_2

According to one clinical trial, sage extract significantly improved the cognitive abilities of patients with mild to moderate&nbsp;Alzheimer's disease between the ages of 65 and 80 years. No adverse side effects were observed.&nbsp;[<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1046/j.1365-2710.2003.00463.x" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref.3</a>]

Sage-(Salvia-officinalis)-and-ursolic-acid_0_3

Another active substance in sage, which has the potential to improve the condition of patients with dementia is rosmarinic acid, since it destabilizes and inhibits the formation of amyloid filaments. [<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1747-0285.2005.00318.x" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref.4</a>]

Ginkgo-biloba-leaf-extract

Ginkgo biloba leaf extract

Ginkgo-biloba-leaf-extract_1_0

Ginkgo biloba leaf extract, named EGb761, has the potential to have a beneficial effect on patients with various neurodegenerative diseases , including Alzheimer's and dementia, thanks to the flavonoids, terpenes and organic acids contained in it.

Ginkgo-biloba-leaf-extract_1_1

The extract lowers oxidative stress, has anti-inflammatory properties, neutralizes free radicals, improves impaired mitochondrial function, reduces platelet aggregation (against blood clotting). [<a href="https://www.bioseek.eu/en/eng/research/pubmed/Traditional_Chinese_medicines_and_Alzheimer_s_disease_21791295" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref.1</a>] All these properties are important for the treatment of this disease.

Ginkgo-biloba-leaf-extract_1_2

Toothed-clubmoss-or-firmoss-(Huperzia-serrata)

Toothed clubmoss or firmoss (Huperzia serrata)

Toothed-clubmoss-or-firmoss-(Huperzia-serrata)_2_0

The toothed clubmoss is a plant also known as firmoss. It contains the inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase hooperzine A, which is also its active substance.

Toothed-clubmoss-or-firmoss-(Huperzia-serrata)_2_1

According to various studies, hooperzine A has a positive effect in neurodegenerative diseases such as myasthenia gravis, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

Toothed-clubmoss-or-firmoss-(Huperzia-serrata)_2_2

The substance has the property to improve general cognitive functions, overall clinical status, behavioral disorders in Alzheimer's patients, without side effects. [<a href="https://www.bioseek.eu/en/eng/research/pubmed/Herbal_therapy_a_new_pathway_for_the_treatment_of_Alzheimer_s_disease_21067555" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref.2</a>]

Toothed-clubmoss-or-firmoss-(Huperzia-serrata)_2_3

Plants-of-theAmaryllidaceae-family

Plants of theAmaryllidaceae family

Plants-of-theAmaryllidaceae-family_3_0

Plants of the Amaryllidaceae family are widely used in Traditional Chinese medicine for a variety of conditions - from the bite of a venomous snake, through paralysis to rheumatoid arthritis.

Plants-of-theAmaryllidaceae-family_3_1

The active substance is galantamine, which according to some studies can improve memory and protect neurons from oxidative stress.

Plants-of-theAmaryllidaceae-family_3_2

One clinical trial confirmed the efficacy and safety of galantamine in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease [<a href="https://www.bioseek.eu/en/eng/research/pubmed/Acetylcholinesterase_inhibitors_and_memantine_for_neuroenhancement_in_healthy_individuals_a_systematic_review_20193764" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref.5</a>]. The use of galantamine for the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer's is approved by the State Food and Drug Administration in China and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Plants-of-theAmaryllidaceae-family_3_3

Uncaria-rhynchophylla---a-type-of-cat's-claw

Uncaria rhynchophylla - a type of cat's claw

Uncaria-rhynchophylla---a-type-of-cat's-claw_4_0

Uncaria rhynchophylla is a variety of the better known cat's claw (Uncaria tomentosa). It is also called diào gōu téng or fish hook vine. The herb is used to relieve headaches, dizziness, tinnitus and contains a number of active substances from the group of alkaloids.

Uncaria-rhynchophylla---a-type-of-cat's-claw_4_1

There is evidence that its extracts have a significant destabilising and inhibiting effect on the formation of amyloid fibers. This effects is even stronger than that of other herbs used in Traditional Chinese medicine. [<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jnr.20891" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref.6</a>]

Uncaria-rhynchophylla---a-type-of-cat's-claw_4_2

Yuan-zhi-(Polygala-tenuifolia)

Yuan zhi (Polygala tenuifolia)

Yuan-zhi-(Polygala-tenuifolia)_5_0

Polygala tenuifolia is one of the 50 fundamental herbs used in Traditional Chinese medicine and is among the most used to treat memory loss. It has expectorant, antipsychotic, sedative, anti-inflammatory and hypnotic effects.

Yuan-zhi-(Polygala-tenuifolia)_5_1

In the dried root of the herb there is a substance called tenuifolin, which is evidenced to possess the properties necessary to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease and to improve poor mental functions. [<a href="https://www.bioseek.eu/en/eng/research/pubmed/Traditional_Chinese_medicines_and_Alzheimer_s_disease_21791295" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref.1</a>]

Yuan-zhi-(Polygala-tenuifolia)_5_2

Yuan-zhi-(Polygala-tenuifolia)_5_3

The potential of these medicinal plants and their extracts, the clinical trials [<a href="https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04249869" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref.7</a>], as well as the activity of Chinese scientists in researching the effectiveness of various herbs, give a ray of hope that we will soon find effective and safe treatment and prevention of diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and senile dementia.

Q&amp;A

Q&amp;A_6_0

What types of dementia are there?

Q&amp;A_6_1

Various diseases and conditions can lead to or be characterized by dementia. These include: Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal dementia, alcohol-related dementia, Down syndrome and Alzheimer's disease, HIV-related dementia.

Q&amp;A_6_2

What is vascular dementia?

Q&amp;A_6_3

Vascular dementia is a common name for dementia caused by a problem with the blood supply to the brain. There are two main types of vascular dementia: multiinfarct dementia and Binswanger's disease (subcortical vascular dementia). Both types are associated with one or more strokes.

Q&amp;A_6_4

Multiinfarct dementia is the most common vascular dementia and at the beginning of its development has a more favorable picture than that of Alzheimer's, and the sufferer can keep their personality relatively unchanged for longer. Some of its symptoms are depression, mood swings and epilepsy. Risk factors for the development of vascular dementia are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking.

Q&amp;A_6_5

How to take care of a dementia sufferer at home?

Q&amp;A_6_6

Ask a specialist how to talk to the patient, how to make toilet care easier, try to learn how he or she perceives the world. Tips to help the patient have better orientation: keep familiar objects and people around, browse through family photo albums frequently, keep the lights on at night, use reminders, notes, to-do lists or instructions for daily activities while the sufferer is still able to use them, stick to a simple schedule of activities, talk about current events.

Q&amp;A_6_7

In case of problems with anxiety and sleep, play soothing music, go for short walks regularly, if possible. Learn how to secure your home and think about how to prevent falls, suffocation and injuries. It is necessary to make regular examinations of the patient's vision and hearing.

Q&amp;A_6_8

If he or she is driving a car, it is important to carefully consider at what stage this will no longer be safe and to approach it carefully when talking about the need to stop.