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Review
. 2017 Apr;12(4):660-670.
doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.205108.

Effects of medicinal plants on Alzheimer's disease and memory deficits

Muhammad Akram  1 , Allah Nawaz  2
Affiliations
Review

Effects of medicinal plants on Alzheimer's disease and memory deficits

Muhammad Akram et al. Neural Regen Res. 2017 Apr.

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease is an age-related neurodegenerative disorder characterized by memory deficits. Various studies have been carried out to find therapeutic approaches for Alzheimer's disease. However, the proper treatment option is still not available. There is no cure for Alzheimer's disease, but symptomatic treatment may improve the memory and other dementia related problems. Traditional medicine is practiced worldwide as memory enhancer since ancient times. Natural therapy including herbs and medicinal plants has been used in the treatment of memory deficits such as dementia, amnesia, as well as Alzheimer's disease since a long time. Medicinal plants have been used in different systems of medicine, particularly Unani system of medicines and exhibited their powerful roles in the management and cure of memory disorders. Most of herbs and plants have been chemically evaluated and their efficacy has also been proven in clinical trials. However, the underlying mechanisms of actions are still on the way. In this paper, we have reviewed the role of different medicinal plants that play an important role in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and memory deficits using conventional herbal therapy.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; efficacy; literature review; medicinal plants; memory; nerve regeneration; neural regeneration.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest: None declared.

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