African plant extract offers new hope for Alzheimer's
Their study, published in the journal Pharmaceutical Biology , has shown that the extract taken from the leaves, stem and roots of Carpolobia lutea , could help to protect chemical messengers in the brain which play a vital role in functions including memory and learning. The tree extract could pave the way for new drugs to tackle patient symptoms but without the unwanted side-effects associated with some current treatments. 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." Neurodegenerative diseases represent a huge health burden globally, placing pressure on health services and having a negative impact on the lives of patie...