Liquorice could be used to treat Alzheimer's and Parkinson's

 1 DEC 2015  BY FIONA PARKER

Currently 850,000 people in the UK are living with Alzheimer’s, but this number is expected to soar to over one million by 2025

   

Delicious: Synthetic liquorice sweets

Liquorice root extract could be used to treat Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s, a study revealed. 

Salicylic acid, a bitter chemical found in some plants and a critical hormone for regulating plants’ immune systems , is also a component in aspirin. 

It binds to the enzyme GAPDH, which is believed to play a role in neurodegenerative diseases stopping the enzyme moving into a cell’s nucleus where it can trigger its death.

But derivatives, such as from liquorice or synthesised versions, were even more effective than aspirin in stopping the enzyme.

Currently 850, 000 people in the UK are living with Alzheimer’s, but this number is expected to soar to over one million by 2025.

There are around 127,000 Parkinson’s sufferers and 12 in 100,000 have Huntington’s - an inherited condition that damages nerve cells in the brain. 

The anti-Parkinson’s drug deprenyl also blocks GAPDH’s entry into the nucleus but the study suggests salicylic acid can achieve the same goal.

Glyceraldehyde 3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (GADPH) is a central enzyme in glucose metbolism, but it also plays additional roles in cells.

Under oxidative stress - an excess of free radicals and other reactive compounds -GAPDH is modified and then enters the nucleus of neurons.

It increases protein turnover, the balance between protein synthesis and protein degradation.

More synthesis than breakdown indicates an anabolic state that builds lean tissues, more breakdown than synthesis indicates a catabolic state that burns lean tissues.

The finding found GADPH led to a catabolic state and cell death which occurs in brain cells in neurodegenerative conditions.

Cruel: Man suffering from Alzheimer's (picture posed by model)

Currently 850,000 people in the UK are living with Alzheimer’s, but this 

number is expected to soar to over one million by 2025

 Solomon Snyder, from Johns Hopkins University said: “The enzyme GAPDH, 

long thought to function solely in glucose metabolism, is now known to participate in
 intracellular signalling.

“The new study establishes that GAPDH is a target for salicylate drugs related

 to aspirin, and hence may be relevant to the therapeutic actions of such drugs.”

Previous research has identified ‘targets’ that the acid binds to in plants, and

 many of these have equivalent targets in humans.

Earlier this year lead author Professor Daniel Klessig at Boyce Thompson Institute and 

Cornell University identified another novel target of salicylic acid called HMGB1 

(High Mobility Group Box 1).

HMGB1 causes inflammation and is associated with several diseases, including 

arthritis, lupus, sepsis, atherosclerosis and certain cancers.

Low levels of salicylic acid block these pro-inflammatory activities, and the 

salicylic acid derivatives were 40 to 70 times more potent than salicylic acid at 

inhibiting these pro-inflammatory activities.

Professor Klessig said: “A better understanding of how salicylic acid and its derivatives regulate the activities of GAPDH and HMGB1, coupled with the discovery of much more potent synthetic and natural derivatives of salicylic acid, provide great promise for the development of new and better salicylic acid-based treatments of a wide variety of prevalent, devastating diseases.”

Salicylic acid is used in skin care products including anti-dandruff shampoos and acne treatments.

Natural sources include blackberries, blueberries, grapes, kiwi fruits, apricots, green pepper, olives, tomatoes, radish, chicory, almonds, water chestnuts and peanuts.

The study was published in the journal PLOS ONE.

http://health.einnews.com/article/299711357/_6ROpFwFyDBQeLWk