Therapeutic Approach of Phytomedicine for Dementia: A Review

Abstract

Dementia is a brain disorder with progressive neurological disease. It destroys essential brain cells, impairing memory, thinking, and behavior in a severe way to impact health, enduring interests, and social life. Memory, cognition, orientation, learning capacity, language, and judgments gradually get impaired. Dementia results from anatomical and functional abnormalities, cerebral ischemia, energy deficits, calcium excess, glutamate-mediated excitotoxicity, and oxidative stress. Vascular dementia (VaD), which accounts for 10-15% of dementia cases, is the second most frequent form of dementia after Alzheimer's disease (AD). There are currently no approved pharmaceutical treatments for VaD, and traditional anti-AD therapies only offer modest, temporary relief from the symptoms of VaD. Since herbal remedies have a multicomponent and multitarget approach, they may provide effective treatments for VaD. Herbal remedies have been used for centuries to address dementia-like symptoms. This author describes some preliminary research that supports using herbal drugs in managing vascular dementia and dementia.

Effect of Bacopa monnieri Extract on Memory and Cognitive Skills in Adult Humans: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study

“…Several human clinical trials have demonstrated that BM extract promotes cognitive properties including improved immediate and delayed memory recall, processing speed, and sustained attention after supplementation for three months. [17,19,[41][42][43][44][45] Our study results indicate significant cognitive improvements as early as Day 14 and memory improvements on Day 28 followed by 56 and 84 days supplementation which are early benefits as compared to most of the studies reported earlier. In traditional Ayurvedic medicine, BM is considered as an adaptogenic herb and used for reducing anxiety and depression which was further supported by both experimental animal studies as well as human clinical trials [46].…”

“…B. monnieri rich with bioactive compounds called bacosides that are known to improve cognitive properties including memory while reducing episodes of stress and anxiety [29][30][31][32]. Unlike synthetic cognitive enhancing drugs which are potentially addictive, herbal supplements are less adverse and highly tolerable by humans [13,16,18,19,33].…”

“…B. monnieri, known as brain tonic in traditional medicine is a perennial creeper found in the damp and marshy wetlands and is used to promote memory and learning as well as reduce anxiety and stress [17][18][19]. The bioactive phytochemicals present in Bacopa include a group of steroidal saponins known as Bacosides (A and B), bacopasides III, IV, V, and bacosaponins A, B, C, D, E, and F which are responsible for neuroprotection, enhance memory, and antioxidant properties [20][21][22].…”

Investigating the Neuroprotective and Cognitive-Enhancing Effects of Bacopa monnieri: A Systematic Review Focused on Inflammation, Oxidative Stress, Mitochondrial Dysfunction, and Apoptosis

“…They suggested that its use has promising effects regarding neuronal impairments. Other authors have shown BM constituents' effects as benefits in dementia, Alzheimer´s disease, and other brain disorders [42][43][44].…”