Most common diseases of 50 plus - Diseases of Central Nervous system(CNS): Dementia - Treatments in Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine: Radix glycyrrhizae(Gan Cao)

By Kyle J. Norton Health article writer and researcher; Over 10.000 articles and research papers have been written and published on line, including world wide health, ezine articles, article base, healthblogs, selfgrowth, best before it’s news, the karate GB daily, etc.,.
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         Diseases of Central Nervous system

                           Dementia

About 5-8% of all people over the age of 65 have some form of dementia, and this number doubles every five years above that age. Dementia is the loss of mental ability, severe enough to interfere with people’s every life and Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia in aging people.

V. Treatments
C. In traditional Chinese Medicine Perspective(*)C.1.3. Radix glycyrrhizae(Gan Cao)

11. 4′,7-dihydroxyflavone
12. Etc.

  Gan Cao used in the treatment and prevention of dementia(719) in traditional Chinese medicine, may be due to their effectiveness of phytochemicals in ameliorated amyloid pathology and related cognitive deficits(759). In senile dementia, Gan Cao exhibited its elicit memory-improving effects, through its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiapoptotic, neurogenetic, and anti-Aβ activities(760).

1. In Alzheimer’s disease (AD)
Vascular risk factors (VRF) has shown strong evidence in contribution to cognitive decline and the development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD)(763) and dementia(761), Sini Decoction, a TCM formula containing Gan Cao enhanced cardiac function through significant suppression of  lipid peroxidation(765) of myocardial homogenate(764), via scavenge oxygen free radicals activity(764). According to Korea Food Research Institute, Gan Cao attenuated the Amyloid beta protein (Abeta)  involved in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), through inhibition of Acetylcholinesterase activity(762), probably via mediation antioxidant actions against oxidative stress(762).

2. In Parkinson’s diseases(PD)
Kampo kami-shoyo-san (TJ-24), a Korean traditional herbal medicine, containing Gan Cao,  significantly reduce  tremor, disturbances in muscular movement in antipsychotic-induced parkinsonism(766). The formula also showed effectively in relieved symptoms of panic attacks, anticipatory anxiety(767). Liquiritin, a flavonoids extracted from Glycyrrhizae radix, significantly promotes the neurite outgrowth in dose dependant manners, through overexpression of neural related genes, such as neurogenin 3, neurofibromatosis 1, associated to Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease(768).

3. In learning and memory
Oral administration of Glycyrrhizae radix (GR) in rat study, showed to reduce anxiety and promote learning and memory in rats, by attenuating the behavioral and neurochemical impairments caused by repeated stress-induced alterations(770). Palmul-chongmyeong-tang, containing Gan Cao used in used as herbal medicine against ischemia, may be a potential agent for treatment of vascular dementia as it significantly improved learning and memory and attenuated cognitive impairment through reduction of the loss of cholinergic immunoreactivity in the hippocampus induced by cerebral ischemia in rat model(769).

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Reprinted from Norton Journal, Volume I, Most Common Diseases of Ages of 50 Plus – Chapter of Diseases of Central Nervous system(CNS): Dementia – Treatments in Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine  by Kyle J. Norton  

References
(*) http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2012/692621/ 
(751) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20430018
(752) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24028304
(753) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15898703
(754) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Licorice+root+and+anti+convulsion
(755) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19607905
(756) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23850540
(757) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21414764
(758) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22575538
(759) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25386946
(760) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21808655
(761) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21490316
(762) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16821116
(763) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19720973
(764) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8737476
(765) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7646795
(766) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11043809
(767) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12485303
(768) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19789989
(769) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17268076
(770) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21311677