Tea found to fight Alzheimer's enzymes

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Tea found to fight Alzheimer's enzymes

 

26/10/2004 - Drinking tea could help improve memory and may also slow

the development of Alzheimer's disease, suggests new research from the UK.

 

Laboratory tests by a team at the University of Newcastle found that

tea, and particularly green tea, inhibits the activity of the same

enzymes in the brain currently targeted by drugs for Alzheimer's disease.

 

The researchers are hoping to develop a medicinal tea as an

alternative treatment to slow memory loss in Alzheimer's sufferers,

estimated to include around 10 million people worldwide, and rising.

 

Lead researcher Dr Ed Okello said: " Although there is no cure for

Alzheimer's, tea could potentially be another weapon in the armoury

which is used to treat this disease and slow down its development. "

 

" Our findings are particularly exciting as tea is already a very

popular drink, it is inexpensive, and there do not seem to be any

adverse side effects when it is consumed. Still, we expect it will be

several years until we are able to produce anything marketable. "

 

Dr Okello added that the findings suggested tea could boost the memory

of everyday drinkers too.

 

The researchers from Newcastle University's Medicinal Plant Research

Centre found both green and black tea inhibited the activity of the

enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE), which breaks down the chemical

messenger or neurotransmitter, acetylcholine. Alzheimer's is

characterised by a drop in acetylcholine.

 

Green tea and black tea also hinder the activity of the enzyme

butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE), which has been discovered in protein

deposits found on the brain of patients with Alzheimer's.

 

Green tea went one step further in that it obstructed the activity of

beta-secretase, which plays a role in the production of protein

deposits in the brain that are associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Scientists also found that it continued to have its inhibitive effect

for a week, whereas black tea's enzyme-inhibiting properties lasted

for only one day.

 

Incidence of Alzheimer's disease is expected to rise fast with ageing

populations but there is currently no cure. Drugs are available to

slow the development of the disease by hindering the activity of AchE

and others are being developed which scientists hope will inhibit the

activity of BuChE and beta-secretase. But many of those currently

available, such as donepezil, have unpleasant side effects and the

medical profession is keen to find alternatives.

 

Professor Clive Ballard, director of research at the UK-based

Alzheimer's Society, noted that the research builds on previous

evidence that suggests that green tea may be beneficial due to

antioxidant properties.

 

" Certainly the effect on the cholinesterase enzyme (the target of

current anti-dementia drugs such as Aricept) and beta-secretase (an

enzyme which is important in the build up of plaques) is very exciting

and requires further investigation, " he said.

 

The findings, published in the journal Phytotherapy Research (18,

pp624-627), are the latest in a long line of results pointing to tea's

disease-fighting potential. It is also being widely researched for its

anti-cancer activity and benefits for heart health.

 

The Newcastle researchers are seeking funding to carry out further

tests on green tea. They need to find out exactly which components of

green tea inhibit the activity of the enzymes AChE, BuChE and

beta-secretase.

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