Protective effects of cerebrolysin against chemotherapy (carmustine) induced cognitive impairment in Albino mice

Nature's Toolbox for Alzheimer's Disease: A Review on the Potential of Natural Products as Alzheimer's Disease Drugs

Numerous clinical trials involving natural products have been conducted to observe cognitive performances and biomarkers in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) patients. However, to date, no natural-based drugs have been approved by the FDA as treatments for AD. In this review, natural product-based compounds that were tested in clinical trials from 2011 to 2023, registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov were reviewed. Thirteen compounds, encompassing 7 different mechanisms of action were covered. Several observations were deduced, which are: i) several compounds showed cognitive improvement, but these improvements may not extend to AD, ii) compounds that are endogenous to the human body showed better outcomes, and iii) Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and cerebrolysin had the most potential as AD drugs among the 13 compounds. Based on the current findings, natural products may be more suitable as a supplement than AD drugs in most cases. However, the studies covered here were conducted in a relatively short amount of time, where compounds acting on AD pathways may take time to show any effect. Given the diverse pathways that these natural products are involved in, they may potentially produce synergistic effects that would be beneficial in treating AD. Additionally, natural products benefit from both physicochemical properties being in more favorable ranges and active transport playing a more significant role than it does for synthetic compounds.

[Cognitive impairment and tactics of using the drug Cerebrolysin. Resolution of the International Council of Experts (May 12, 2023)]

The aging of the population and the associated increase in the share of cognitive impairments in the structure of a wide range of diseases are a serious challenge for modern healthcare. Difficulties in the treatment of cognitive disorders are determined by many factors, including the age of patients, comorbidity, forced polypragmasia and the adequacy of the dosage of drugs that restore cognitive activity. The experts discussed information about the therapeutic potential of the drug Cerebrolysin in the treatment of cognitive disorders of various origins, stated significant experience of its effective and safe use in many clinical studies in mild and moderate forms of dementia. At the same time, there was a lack of consistent and systematic data on the dosage regimen, frequency, and duration of use of the drug in different forms of cognitive impairment and the degree of their severity. The aim of the international council of experts was to determine the optimal dosage regimens of the drug Cerebrolysin in patients with various etiologies and severity of cognitive impairment. The result of the work was the approval of a unified scheme for the use of the drug Cerebrolysin, considering the severity of the disease and its duration.

Protective role of the dried white mulberry extract on the reproductive damage and fertility in rats treated with carmustine

The present study investigated the protective effect of dried white Mulberry extract (DWME) against carmustine (Crm) induced biochemical alterations and spermatological, histopathological, and fertility damage in Wistar albino rats. Male rats were divided into four groups (control, Crm, Crm + DWME, and DWME group). It was found that Crm decreased the motility. Crm decreased the concentration (not different from control group) compared to DWME groups. Total blood MDA levels were reduced during the recovery period. Also, the recovery period reduced the MDA levels in the Crm group/testicular tissue. The GSH levels in the Crm + DWME group were the highest among all groups in the testicular tissue/experiment period. In the immunohistochemical evaluation of the testicular tissue, a high level of caspase-3 was observed in the cells that underwent meiosis in the Crm group. The most pronounced DNA damage was also detected in the Crm group. The Crm + DWME group showed the highest number of offspring born during recovery period. In conclusion, dried white mulberry extract protects against the spermatological damages caused by carmustine. Moreover, recovery period played a positive effect on spermatological parameters and fertility.