The Potential Role of Phytochemicals in Alzheimer’s Disease
Ewa Baranowska‐Wójcik, Dorota Gajowniczek-Ałasa, Bożena Pawlikowska-Pawlęga, Dominik Szwajgier
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative condition characterised by memory loss and cognitive disorders. The disease has been related to the presence of so-called senile plaques forming due to the buildup of amyloid β in the hippocampus. The AD therapies developed to date continue to prove insufficient, while long-term exposure to synthetic drugs tends to lead to serious side effects, which is why potential herbal treatments are generally preferable to conventional drug regimens and, as such, have been under considerable research scrutiny in recent years. There are a number of herbs, e.g., lavender Ginkgo biloba, that are already commonly employed in alleviating the symptoms of certain neurological disorders. In light of the above, the aim of the following paper is to discuss the importance of medicinal herbs, their neuroprotective properties, and their mechanisms of activity. The article presents a review of the identified therapeutic properties of phytomedicines that exhibit strong anti-Alzheimer’s disease (AD) activity.