Chinese herbs for dementia diseases.
In the last twenty years a considerable body of information has accumulated on the chemical constituents of Chinese herbs and their therapeutic potential. Our evaluation/systematic review [1, 2] of well-designed, randomized double blind controlled trials on Chinese herbal medicines beneficial for the improvement of cognitive function revealed a range of either single herbs or herbal mixtures that provided neuroprotective benefits. Oxidative stress may directly initiate neurodegeneration and herbal antioxidant neuroprotection is considered as a preventative and therapeutic approach. We encountered Acoris gramineus rhizome (AGR), Panax ginseng, Polygala tenuifolia and Poria cocos as the four most frequently used herbs as single/herbal mixtures that were associated with positive cognitive enhancing outcomes. This review focuses on the evidence of their medicinal effects attributed to those constituents present in relatively high concentration.
Health Innovations Research Institute, RMIT University, Melbourne, 3001 Australia. helmut.hugel@rmit.edu.au
H M
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Hügel
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Jackson
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BH
May
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Xue
D000818:Animals; D003704:Dementia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D019684:Magnoliopsida / Q000737:chemistry; D055441:Poria / Q000737:chemistry
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal