Key points
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Scientists have designed Diacca, a stable oral medicine derived from carnous acid in rosemary, designed to fight Alzheimer’s by reducing inflammation and oxidative stress in the brain.
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In preclinical studies of the mouse, Diacca has restored memory function, increased synaptic density and reduces Alzheimer’s biomarkers, including amyloid-β and phosphorylated proteins-Tau.
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The drug is activated only in inflamed brain areas and uses a compound already considered safe by FDA, potentially optimizing the path to clinical trials in humans and allows combined use with existing therapies.
New research shows that rosemary has more benefits than just improves the aroma and aroma of your next roast. It turns out that it can also serve as a secret ingredient in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease.
In February, researchers at the Scrippps Research Institute published the discoveries of a new compound called Diacca, which they designed as an oral medicine, which one day we can hope to cure Alzheimer’s disease. As the researchers explain, Diacca is obtained from carnous acid (CA), a natural antioxidant found in rosemary and sage, which is already known to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress – two factors strongly related to Alzheimer’s progression in previous studies.
The authors explained in a statement that Karnoic acid works by activating enzymes in the “natural defense system of the body”. In its purest condition, this acid is too unstable to serve as a viable drug therapy. However, they were able to create a stable shape known as Diacca, which they noted after being consumed, turned into carnoci acid in the intestine and then absorbed into the blood.
Their work, published in Antioxidants magazine, demonstrates that Diacca mice can deliver the therapeutic doses of carnous acid to the brain, leading to improved “memory and synaptic density”. Their analysis also revealed a significant reduction in inflammation in the brain after treatment.
“Meeting inflammation and oxidative stress with this compound of Diacca, we have actually increased the number of synapses in the brain,” said Stewart Lipton, a doctor of medical sciences, a senior author and professor at Scripps. “We also removed other improperly folded or aggregated proteins such as phosphorylated tau and amyloid-β, which are thought to trigger Alzheimer’s disease and serve as biomarkers of the disease process.”
And perhaps the most captivating of all, scientists noted that the drug is activated only by the inflammation it is directed to, which makes it active only in areas of the brain that fight inflammatory damage, thus limiting side effects.
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“We have done many different memory tests and they were all improved with the drug,” Lipton added. “And that doesn’t just slow down; it has improved practically back to normal.”
There is also good news for these researchers. They noted that Karnoic acid is already listed on the US Food and Drug Administration list, “usually considered safe” (GRAS), which could do clinical trials involving people easier to conduct, since the ingredient itself will not require additional FDA approval.
According to Lipton, Diacca has the potential to work well in tandem with other Alzheimer’s treatments, adding that “it can make existing treatments for amyloid antibodies to work better by taking away or limiting their side effects.” However, he does not stop at Alzheimer’s. Lipton hopes to study his use for other inflammatory disorders, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease and Parkinson’s disease in the future.
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