Therapeutical potential of nutraceuticals in the prevention and management of Alzheimer’s disease

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a long-term brain neurodegenerative condition. Approximately 55 million individuals worldwide currently suffer from dementia. The WHO projects that the number of people with AD will reach over 78 million globally by 2030 and almost 139 million by 2050. In recent years, nutraceuticals – supplements to contemporary medicine that provide health benefits – have become more well-known. Using nutraceuticals could potentially reduce complete dependence on prescription drugs while minimizing side effects, due to their unique chemical properties. Often, nutraceuticals have special chemical properties that aren't seen in medications. Treatments for AD primarily target β-amyloid (Aβ). However, due to its poor permeability, medications that target Aβ are difficult to utilize. Other drugs, such as NMDA-receptor antagonists and cholinesterase inhibitors, when combined, only temporarily relieve the symptoms of AD. Hence, nutraceuticals are being researched to potentially slow down the progression of dementia and in the management of AD. Reported clinical trial failures of AD drugs in literature, mostly in phase 2 &3 trials, are mainly due to a lack of evidence of effectiveness as they failed to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The use of new therapies, such as specific nutraceuticals, and their latest delivery approaches facilitates the entry of active ingredients into the BBB such as nanoencapsulation and liposomal based delivery systems. These new therapies work on a novel method of delivery of nutraceuticals and have shown their effectiveness in clinical studies in the management of AD. This study examines how medicinal nutraceuticals may be useful in the management of AD.