- 15 JAN 2017
Tests have shown that chemicals found in a type of cactus known as prickly pear and a brown seaweed known as Peacocks Tail could potentially change the fortunes of patients
The cactus known as 'Prickly Pear' can be found all over The Med (Photo: Universal Images Group Editorial)
Two abundant Mediterranean plants have been found to contain miracle properties which could ward off the symptoms of both Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
Tests have shown that chemicals found in a type of cactus known as 'Prickly Pear' and a variety of brown seaweed known as Peacocks Tail could potentially change the fortunes of sufferers of both.
Indeed, research at the University of Malta so far shows that the plants in question could extend the lives of Alzheimer's patients by more than six years by delaying the ageing diseases.
And extracts from both of the plants - which can be found all over the Med - are also claimed to improve mobility by a fifth.
If 'next-level' clinical trials on humans prove successful it's claimed the Mediterranean could become the source for an 'elixir of life'.
In both Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease sticky protein clumps accumulate over time damage the nervous system to erode mobility or memory.
Peacocks Tail has also been found to contain the life-prolonging chemicals (Photo: Dorling Kindersley)
But it's claimed extracts from these plants could stop the build up of these toxins into plaques and tangles which kill off brain cells.
It is estimated that around 800,000 Britons suffer from dementia - and one in three over 65s will develop dementia - with numbers increasing to over one million by 2021 as people live longer.
There are also 127,000 Britons suffering with Parkinson's disease - one in every 500.
Professor Dr Neville Vassallo at the University of Malta School of Medicine and Surgery said: "We have long been screening plants scattered across the Mediterranean for small molecules that interfere with the build-up of toxic protein aggregates.
"The robust effects of chemicals derived from the prickly pear and brown seaweed confirm that our search has certainly not been in vain."
The study first tested the effect of the plant extracts on brewer's yeast brimming with beta-amyloid clumps, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease.
After exposure to the chemicals, the yeast's health improved dramatically.
Researchers then evaluated the molecules on fruit flies which had been genetically modified to develop Alzheimer's symptoms.
Flies treated with seaweed extract had their lifespan prolonged by two days.
A greater four-day extension was observed when prickly pear extract was administered.
One day in the life of a fruit fly is equivalent to around one year in humans.
And the mobility of sick flies was improved by about 18% after treatment, highlighting a similar significant improvement.
Scientists also discovered that the substances prolonged the lifespan of flies with brains overloaded with alpha-synuclein, a gummy protein implicated in Parkinson's disease.
This underscored an effect on neurodegenerative mechanisms shared by both Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
Results showed the plant-derived molecules interfered with the build-up of both beta-amyloid and alpha-synuclein proteins to generate clumps that are less toxic to neurons.
Lead author Dr Ruben Cauchi at the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Biobanking of the University of Malta added: 'We believe that the discovery of bioactive agents that target pathways that are hit by multiple neurodegenerative conditions is the most viable approach in our current fight against brain disorders.
"A clear advantage of the drugs used in this study is that, in view of their excellent safety profile, they are already on the market as nutraceuticals and cosmeceuticals.
He added: "If the findings hold in clinical trials, the Mediterranean is set to become a source for the 'elixir of life.'"
The study was published in the journal Neuroscience Letters.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/mediterranean-poised-become-elixir-life-9625959
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