Traditional Chinese medicine may offer new avenues for dementia prevention, according to a recent study from Osaka Metropolitan University. Researchers led by Professor Takami Tomiyama have found that Ziziphus jujuba Miller var. spinosa, a type of jujube used in traditional Chinese medicine, shows promise in restoring cognitive and motor function in model mice with various forms of dementia.
The study, available as a reviewed preprint in eLife, involved administering hot water extracts of Zizyphi spinosi semen to model mice with Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia, Parkinson's disease, and dementia with Lewy bodies. The results indicated a restoration of both cognitive and motor functions in these mice. Notably, when the seeds were simply crushed into powder and administered, the cognitive function of the model mice recovered to a level exceeding that of control mice. Furthermore, the powder appeared to suppress cellular aging in older mice, improving their cognitive function to a level similar to that of younger mice.
Professor Tomiyama suggests that these findings could pave the way for developing dementia prevention products accessible to middle-aged and elderly individuals. Previous work by the research team has also shown improvements in dementia pathology and restoration of cognitive and motor functions in model mice using the Hawaiian herb mamaki and the Chinese herb Acorus gramineus.
"The results of our research will hopefully make it possible to develop dementia prevention products that middle-aged and elderly people can take at their own discretion," said Professor Tomiyama.
