Amla Therapy as a Potential Modulator of Alzheimer’s Disease Risk Factors and Physiological Change

Article type: Review Article

Authors: Teimouri, Elham^a | Rainey-Smith, Stephanie R.^{a; b} | Bharadwaj, Prashant^{a; c} | Verdile, Giuseppe^{b; c} | Martins, Ralph N.^{a; b; d; e; *}

Affiliations: [a] Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease Research and Care, School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia | [b] Sir James McCusker Alzheimer’s Disease Research Unit (Hollywood Private Hospital), Perth, Western Australia, Australia | [c] School of Biomedical Sciences, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia | [d] School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia | [e] Department of Biomedical Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia

Correspondence: [*] Correspondence to: Ralph N. Martins, School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, 270 Joondalup Drive, Joondalup, Western Australia 6027, Australia. Tel.: +61 8 6457 0424; Fax: +61 8 9347 4299; E-mail: ralph.n.martins@gmail.com.

Abstract:  There is currently no effective treatment for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common form of dementia. It has been proposed, however, that a modest delay in onset can significantly reduce the number of cases. Thus, prevention and intervention strategies are currently the focus of much research. In the search for compounds that potentially confer benefit, the Amla fruit and its extracts have drawn attention. Amla preparations have been used for centuries in traditional Indian medicine systems such as Ayurveda, with various parts of the plant used to treat a variety of diseases. Here we review many animal-based studies, and some clinical trials, which have shown that Amla, and its extracts, exert many positive effects on dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, inflammation, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and autophagy, that contribute to AD risk. Collectively, this evidence suggests that Amla may be of value as part of an effective disease-delaying treatment for AD.

Keywords: Amla, Alzheimer’s disease, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes

DOI: 10.3233/JAD-191033

Journal: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, vol. 74, no. 3, pp. 713-733, 2020