Cinnamon Compound Effective in Fighting Alzheimer's disease

Cinnamon compounds can fight the onset of Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study.

Scientists at UC Santa Barbara found that cinnamaldehyde and epicatechin- compounds found in cinnamon, can prevent development of plaques that are found in the brains of people suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, which in turn leads to the affected person being unable to carry out simple tasks essential for daily living. In most people with Alzheimer's, symptoms first appear after age 60.

A protein called tau plays an important role in maintaining the structure and function of the nerve cells. Cinnamaldehyde- the compound in cinnamon that gives the spice its distinct color and taste prevents the tau from forming knots in the brain.

"The problem with tau in Alzheimer's is that it starts aggregating," said Roshni George, a graduate student researcher from UC Santa Barbara. Cinnamaldehyde attaches to the two residues of cysteine, an amino acid vulnerable to modifications.

"Take, for example, sunburn, a form of oxidative damage. If you wore a hat, you could protect your face and head from the oxidation. In a sense this cinnamaldehyde is like a cap. While it can protect the tau protein by binding to its vulnerable cysteine residues, it can also come off, Graves added, which can ensure the proper functioning of the protein," said Donald Graves, adjunct professor in UCSB's Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology.

Epicatechin, which is also present in blueberries, chocolate and red wine, is a powerful antioxidant. This compound protects tau from oxidative stress.  

According to Alzheimer's disease Facts and Figures , an estimated 5.4 million people have Alzheimer's disease, meaning that one out of every eight older Americans suffers from the condition.

The study is published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.