HEALTH NEWS

Study Title:

Grape Seed Extract Reduces Alzheimer's Plaque

Study Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive impairments in memory and cognition. Extracellular accumulation of soluble high-molecular-weight (HMW) Aβ oligomers has been proposed to be largely responsible for AD dementia and memory deficits in the Tg2576 mice, a model of AD. In this study, we found that a naturally derived grape seed polyphenolic extract can significantly inhibit amyloid β-protein aggregation into high-molecular-weight oligomers in vitro. When orally administered to Tg2576 mice, this polyphenolic preparation significantly attenuates AD-type cognitive deterioration coincidentally with reduced HMW soluble oligomeric Aβ in the brain. Our study suggests that grape seed-derived polyphenolics may be useful agents to prevent or treat AD.

Study Information

Jun Wang, Lap Ho, Wei Zhao, Kenjiro Ono, Clark Rosensweig, Linghong Chen, Nelson Humala, David B. Teplow, and Giulio M. Pasinetti.
Grape-Derived Polyphenolics Prevent Aβ Oligomerization and Attenuate Cognitive Deterioration in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease
The Journal of Neuroscience
2008 June
Departments of 1Psychiatry and 2Neuroscience, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York.