Natural inhibitors as effective antagonists for Tau and β-amyloid in Alzheimer’s rat model

This study by Mervat et al. aimed to evaluate the potential of aqueous extracts from Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) and Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) individually and in combination as avenues to work against tau and β-amyloid in an Alzheimer's rat model. In Alzheimer's disease, β-amyloid proteins aggregate to form plaques outside neurons, while tau works almost in the opposite, forming protein plaques within neurons. These protein formations are associated with many different complications that ultimately result in the most common Alzheimer’s symptoms and ultimately neurodegeneration in patients. To create a rat model that resembles Alzheimer's neuroinflammation for this study, AlCl3 and D-galactose were administered to the rats followed by treatment with the extracts and their combinations over 15 days at a dosage of 500 mg/kg. In the subsequent assessment, numerous factors linked to Alzheimer's disease were examined, including cognitive function, oxidative stress, tau, and amyloid-associated neuro proteins, the autophagy marker LC3, computational analysis, and morphological alterations.

The results indicated substantial improvements in all the evaluated areas in the treated groups compared to normal groups and control groups treated with donepezil, which is a drug that is conventionally used to treat memory loss in dementia. Additionally, the cortex and hippocampus exhibited improved morphological characteristics following treatment with the Saffron and Rosemary compounds. Computational analysis suggested that these extracts might possess an affinity for certain proteins crucial in disease progression and potentially impede their activity.

Ultimately, the constituents within Rosemary and Saffron extracts showcased the ability to reduce the neurotoxic effects induced by AlCl3 & D-galactose and regulate the natural autophagy process. The results of this study demonstrate the potential therapeutic use of these extracts in reducing neuroinflammation, cognitive decline, and related molecular and cellular alterations associated with Alzheimer's disease, providing a promising direction for further research.

Source:

Hassan, M., Ismail, H., Hammam, O., Elsayed, A., Othman, O., & Aly Hassan, S. (2023). Natural inhibitors for acetylcholinesterase and autophagy modulators as effective antagonists for tau and β-amyloid in Alzheimer’s rat model. Biomarkers, 28(3), 273–288. https://doi.org/10.1080/1354750X.2022.2164617