Screening of Nutraceuticals and Plant Extracts for Inhibition of Amyloid-β Fibrillation.

Fluorescence spectroscopy for in vitro amyloid-β (Aβ) fibrillation diagnosis and spectral fluorescence signature for the identification of bioactive compounds were applied to study traditional Ayurvedic nutraceuticals - Brahmi, Ashwagandha, Shanka pushpi, and Gotu kola - as well as their plant extracts for possible treatment of Alzheimer's disease. All samples manifest as inhibitors on three different variants of the Aβ peptide: methionine Aβ1-40, Aβ1-40, and Aβ1-42. The main compounds within the nutraceuticals were identified. Since related medicals are known to have reduced negative post- and side-effects and even may introduce further positive health impacts by preventing pathogen plaque formation and reducing free Aβ to a natural level, such treatment approaches could be of further interest.