Curcumin Prevents Alzheimer Plaque Formation

Category: Aging , Conditions of the Brain , Diet and Nutrition

The study, published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry (2005, vol. 820, no. 7), found that curcumin inhibited formation of amyloid beta (Abeta), an abnormal protein that forms the plaques associated with AD. Researchers at UCLA, Los Angeles, injected curcumin into aged TG mice and fed curcumin to aged Tg2576 mice with advanced amyloid accumulation.

In vivo studies revealed that curcumin injected into the aged mice crossed the blood-brain barrier and bound to beta amyloid plaques. In vitro findings showed when curcumin was fed to aged Tg2576 mice with advanced amyloid accumulation, curcumin bound to the plaques and reduced amyloid levels. "These data suggest that low dose curcumin effectively disaggregates Abeta as well as prevents fibril and oligomer formation, supporting the rationale for curcumin use in clinical trials preventing or treating AD," the study authors conclude.

Posted by Kristopher Foster on January 30, 2006 12:43 PM