Scientists conducted clinical trials on the effects of a plant extract on mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and found that the plant extract improved participants’ memory in less than three months.
Sailuotong (SLT) is an herbal preparation containing standardized extracts of Panax ginseng, Ginkgo biloba and Crocus sativus L.
Patients also performed better on tasks related to executive functions, such as staying focused despite distractions and multitasking.
The Australian research team behind the study also believes that dementia, of which MCI is considered a precursor, could be prevented with SLT, and hope to conduct longer studies that might indicate this.
The herbal blend was developed through a long-standing collaboration between Western Sydney University’s NICM Health Research Institute, Xiyuan Hospital and the Chinese Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences in Beijing.
SLT has previously been shown to be an anti-inflammatory antioxidant, with anti-apoptotic and cholinergic properties, and the team says previous studies have demonstrated the safety of SLT and its potential cognitive benefits in vascular dementia and neurocognition in healthy adults.
However, this latest study, published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia, sought to test TLS as a potential treatment for MCI, characterized by cognitive decline including difficulties with memory and thinking, and is often considered a precursor to dementia, affecting 17 percent. of the world’s population aged over 60.
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Researchers conducted a 12-week trial with 78 participants aged 60 and older, all of whom had previously been diagnosed with MCI. Participants randomly received either one 180 mg capsule of SLT each day or a placebo.
The team’s positive results showed a significant improvement in the logical memory of older adults who received SLT, compared to those in the placebo group.
The SLT group also showed improved performance in executive function tasks such as planning, exercising self-control, following multi-step instructions even when interrupted, concentrating despite distractions and performing multiple tasks.
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“People with mild cognitive impairment have an increased risk of dementia, up to fivefold in some cases, and at the moment we have no approved drugs for mild cognitive impairment,” said lead author Professor Associate Geneviève Steiner-Lim, from the NICM Health Research Institute.
Our results are very promising because they show that even after a relatively short treatment period of just 12 weeks, SLT can support important aspects of memory and thinking in people with mild cognitive impairment.
Participants also showed few incidences of mild or moderate side effects.
Although she admits that more research into the long-term benefits and impact of the plant extract on daily functioning and quality of life is needed, Dr. Steiner-Lim remains optimistic about the potential of SLT to delay dementia.
The team hopes to conduct another trial with a larger sample size and longer treatment period to test whether SLT can be used to treat mild cognitive impairment and potentially delay a dementia diagnosis.
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A quick search of the proven benefits of the three herbs individually shows that, for ginseng, the US FDA and Federal Trade Commission have issued numerous warnings since 2019 to manufacturers of these dietary supplements for making false claims of health benefits or against illness.
But for Ginkgo, a meta-analysis of studies showed in 2017 that evidence suggested it had potentially beneficial effects compared to placebo on cognitive performance.
The Crocus sativus flower is used in the culinary spice saffron, which has also been used for medicinal purposes, including in traditional Asian medicine. Its biologically active chemical compounds (mainly alkaloids, anthocyanins, carotenoids, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, saponins and terpenoids) may have a mood-enhancing effect in people suffering from major depressive disorders, among other benefits, including sleep and vision problems.
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