Alzheimer Disease: Clues from traditional and complementary medicine

Abstract

Despite modern medicine's incredible innovation and resulting accumulation of valuable knowledge, many of the world's most problematic diseases such as Alzheimer Disease (AD) still lack effective cures and treatments. Western medicine has revealed many genetic, cellular, and molecular processes that characterize AD such as protein aggregation and inflammation. As the need for novel and effective treatments increases, researchers have turned towards traditional medicine as a resource. Modern, evidence based research examining traditional and complementary remedies for AD has generated promising results within the last decade. Animal based products inhibiting cellular toxicity, anti-inflammatory nutraceuticals such as omega-3 fatty acids, and plant based compounds derived from herbal medicine demonstrate viability as neuroprotective treatments and possible application in developing pharmaceuticals. Analysis of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective phytochemicals used in various traditional medicines around the world reveal potential to ameliorate and prevent the devastating neurodegeneration observed in AD.

Keywords: Alzheimer; Inflammation; TCM; Treatment; eCAM.

Graphical abstract

Fig. 1

The multifaceted molecular pathology of AD. AD has been linked to many possible causes on genetic, molecular, and cellular levels. Each node in this figure represents a possible cause of AD. These causal events may work in concert and form an intricate cross-talking network, eventually resulting in neuronal death among patients.

Fig. 2

Representative neurological phenotypes of the Drosophila neurodegenerative disease models.

Fig. 3

Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) in China.