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Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry

Editor-in-Chief

ISSN (Print): 1389-5575
ISSN (Online): 1875-5607

Recent Knowledge on Medicinal Plants as Source of Cholinesterase Inhibitors for the Treatment of Dementia

Author(s): Rosa Tundis, Marco Bonesi, Francesco Menichini and Monica R. Loizzo

Volume 16, Issue 8, 2016

Page: [605 - 618] Pages: 14

DOI: 10.2174/1389557515666150709104731

Price: $65

Abstract

Dementia is becoming a major public health problem worldwide. The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease (AD), characterized by a deficient cholinergic transmission, deposition of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, and neuro-inflammation that result in progressive degeneration and/or death of nerve cells and cognitive impairment. At present, AD cannot be prevented or cured, so the symptomatic relief obtainable by the use of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors is one of the therapeutic strategies. Accumulated evidence suggests that naturally occurring compounds may potentially improve memory and cognitive function, and prevent neurodegeneration. Even today the search for new neuroprotective agents of natural origin is very active. The neuroprotective effects of medicinal plants covering studies of the last years will be summarized and discussed in this review choosing a family classification with particular emphasis on extracts and isolated compounds as promising new drugs. The search of a multifunctional potential anti-AD agent able to act on different crucial targets, such as galanthamine, quercetin and timosaponin AIII, could be a useful approach to recognizing therapeutics against AD.

Keywords: Acetylcholinesterase, Alzheimer’s disease, butyrylcholinesterase, dementia, medicinal plants, natural compounds.


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