Researchers at The University of Nottingham believe an extract from a Nigerian plant could be used as a drug to treat dementia.
Their study has shown the extract taken from the leaves, stem and roots of the Carpolobia lutea plant could protect chemical messengers in the brain to slow down memory loss.
The study was led by Dr Wayne Carter in the university’s division of medical sciences and graduate entry medicine, based at Royal Derby Hospital.
He said: “As a population we are living longer, and the number of people with dementia is growing at an alarming rate.
“Our findings suggest that traditional medicines will provide new chemicals able to temper Alzheimer’s disease progression.”
Carpolobia lutea, known more commonly as cattle stick, is a small shrub or tree found in Central and West Africa.
Herbalists in Nigerian tribes use the essence of the root as an aphrodisiac to help increase fertility and for the treatment of urine infections, gingivitis and waist pains.
And the tree extract could pave the way for new drugs for dementia patients, without the side-effects of some current treatments.
When people have Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, the activity of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine is reduced, leading to problems with memory and attention.
Current drugs – called acetylcholinesterase inhibitors – reduce the normal breakdown of acetylcholine.
The Nottingham study found the plant was effective in preventing the breakdown of acetylcholine.
Carpolobia lutea has also been reported to possess other anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic and pain relieving properties.
The drug could be important as evidence suggests patients with Alzheimer’s disease have inflammation in the brain.
The research also found the plant to have properties to fight atoms that contribute to the ageing process.
The research paper, called Anti-Acetylcholinesterase Activity and Antioxidant Properties of Extracts and Fractions of Carpolobia lutea, was published in the journal Pharmaceutical Biology.
It was carried out with the University of Port Harcourt, in Nigeria, and Mansoura University, in Egypt.