Common household plant could hold key to fighting Alzheimer's disease

A potential weapon against Alzheimer’s disease could be hidden in aloe vera, scientists recently uncovered.

Aloe vera, a rubbery green plant, may be best known for its skin-soothing qualities, but a study published in Current Pharmaceutical Analysis suggests that key chemicals within the plant could interact with enzymes involved in Alzheimer’s disease, hinting at a new approach to disrupting cognitive breakdown.

A chemical messenger in the brain called acetylcholine, which helps nerve cells communicate, is reduced in Alzheimer’s patients, contributing to memory loss and cognitive decline, according to the study press release.

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Two enzymes in the brain (cholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase) play an important role in breaking down acetylcholine. Medications that slow these enzymes can sometimes help preserve the chemical messenger, improving symptoms in patients.

Scientists used computer simulations to study this process and predict how molecules behave inside the body.

"Our findings suggest that Beta sitosterol, one of the Aloe vera compounds, exhibits significant binding affinities and stability, making it a promising candidate for further drug development," said lead study author Meriem Khedraoui, a researcher at University of Casablanca in Morocco, in the press release.

Beta sitosterol attached to the key enzymes more strongly than any other compound tested in computer simulations. This suggests that the compound could be effective in slowing down these enzymes, the researchers noted.

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"These results highlight the potential of Beta sitosterol as a dual inhibitor, which could be crucial in managing Alzheimer's disease," added Khedraoui.

The team then examined the safety of such a compound to see if it could be used as a medication in the future. The compound was shown to be well-absorbed by the body and unlikely to be toxic at therapeutic levels.

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"The comprehensive analysis supports the potential of these compounds as safe and effective therapeutic agents," said Samir Chtita, another author of the study from the University of Casablanca, in the same press release.

The researchers acknowledged that the work is still in early stages, given that the results rely solely on computer simulations and not real-world examples.

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"Because aloe vera supplements are commonly sold over the counter, and because they have not been studied to validate their use in people with Alzheimer’s or other diseases that cause dementia or memory loss/cognitive decline, consumers need to be alert for any therapeutic claims made based on these results," Christopher Weber, Ph.D., senior director of global science initiatives at the Alzheimer’s Association, told Fox News Digital.

Inhibiting cholinesterase in the brain does not slow or stop the brain cell death and other damage caused by Alzheimer’s disease, noted Weber, who was not involved in the study.

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"So even if these findings are later shown to be successful in human studies, this would not be a ‘disease-modifying’ treatment," he added.

Further testing in lab experiments and clinical trials will be needed to confirm the efficacy of such a drug.

"There are many treatments in various stages of development — from laboratory work and animal models up to human clinical trials — that address the diseases in multiple ways," said Weber.

Those with concerns about cognitive symptoms should talk to a doctor, he advised. More information is also available at the Alzheimer’s Association website, www.alz.org.