Therapeutic potential of aromatic plant extracts in Alzheimer's disease: Comprehensive review of their underlying mechanisms

AIMS: The aim of this review is to outline recent advancements in the application and mechanistic studies of aromatic plant extracts in Alzhermer`s disease (AD) to demonstrate their value in the management of this disease. BACKGROUND: AD is a neurodegenerative disease with a complex pathogenesis characterized by severe cognitive impairment. Currently, there are very few drugs available for the treatment of AD, and treatments are primarily focused on symptom relief. Aromatherapy is a traditional complementary alternative therapy that focuses on the prevention and treatment of the disease through the inhalation or transdermal administration of aromatic plant extracts. Over the past few years, studies on the use of aromatic plant extracts for the treatment of AD have been increasing and have demonstrated a definitive therapeutic effect. METHODS: We systematically summarized in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies focusing on the potential use of aromatic plant extracts in the treatment of AD in PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure from 2000 to 2022. RESULTS: Our literature survey indicates that aromatic plant extracts exert anti‐AD effects by modulating pathological changes through anti‐amyloid, anti‐tau phosphorylation, anti‐cholinesterase, anti‐inflammation, and anti‐oxidative stress mechanisms (Figure 1). CONCLUSION: This review provides a future strategy for the research of novel anti‐AD drugs from aromatic plant extracts.