Ayurvedic Medicine for the Treatment of Dementia: Mechanistic Aspects.

Akhlaq A Farooqui,Tahira Farooqui,Wei-Yi Ong,Jolin Hwee-Jing Ong,Anil Madan

doi:10.1155/2018/2481076

Abstract

Ayurvedic medicine is a personalized system of traditional medicine native to India and the Indian subcontinent. It is based on a holistic view of treatment which promotes and supports equilibrium in different aspects of human life: the body, mind, and soul. Popular Ayurvedic medicinal plants and formulations that are used to slow down brain aging and enhance memory include Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), Turmeric (Curcuma longa), Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri), Shankhpushpi (Convolvulus pluricaulis, Evolvulus alsinoides, and other species), gotu kola (Centella asiatica), and guggulu (Commiphora mukul and related species) and a formulation known as Brāhmī Ghṛita, containing Brahmi, Vacā (Acorus calamus), Kuṣṭha (Saussurea lappa), Shankhpushpi, and Purāṇa Ghṛita (old clarified butter/old ghee). The rationale for the utilization of Ayurvedic medicinal plants has depended mostly on traditional usage, with little scientific data on signal transduction processes, efficacy, and safety. However, in recent years, pharmacological and toxicological studies have begun to be published and receive attention from scientists for verification of their claimed pharmacological and therapeutic effects. The purpose of this review is to outline the molecular mechanisms, signal transduction processes, and sites of action of some Ayurvedic medicinal plants. It is hoped that this description can be further explored with modern scientific methods, to reveal new therapeutic leads and jump-start more studies on the use of Ayurvedic medicine for prevention and treatment of dementia.

Highlights

Due to an increase in life expectancy, it is estimated that the number of elderly people worldwide will increase to approximately 2.1 billion by the year 2050 [1, 2]
Increase in age is a major risk factor for dementia, a clinical neurodegenerative syndrome characterized by impaired memory and activities of daily living, altered behavior, personality, and other cognitive dysfunctions [3] (Figure 1)
Several types of dementia have been reported in human patients, including Alzheimer type of dementia (AD), vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, and dementia as a result of diseases such as stroke, AIDS, and multiple sclerosis [4]

Summary

Introduction

Due to an increase in life expectancy, it is estimated that the number of elderly people worldwide will increase to approximately 2.1 billion by the year 2050 [1, 2]. Ayurveda dates back to the period of the Indus Valley civilization (about 3000 B.C.) and has been passed down through generations of oral tradition, like the other four knowledge texts (vedas) in ancient India These include the Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, and Atharvaveda, which were composed between the 12th and 7th century B.C. Ayurvedic medicine includes descriptions of over 5000 signs and symptoms of various diseases and 700 herbs and 6,000 formulations to treat them. Ayurvedic medicine mentions and explains the use of several herbs and their qualities for the treatment of nervous system disorders, including memory loss typically seen in older adults, but only recently have mechanistic studies been carried out, to determine the effects of these herbs on CNS disorders such as AD [11]. It is hoped that this description can be further explored with modern scientific validation approaches, to reveal new therapeutic leads and jump-start more studies on the use of Ayurvedic medicine for prevention and treatment of dementia

Ayurvedic Medicinal Plants for the Treatment of Dementia

Conclusion