https://40.media.tumblr.com/fca3043bbe143d32bc6d347f28d193b7/tumblr_nsij40sveA1u14r4co2_1280.jpg TABLE 13.3
Certainly, the literature indicates that several choline- and acetylcholine-conserving compounds,
carvacrol,
carvone, cymene, cineole, fenchone, limonene, terpinene, and thymol, may be dermally
absorbed and do cross the blood–brain barrier. Does that mean that rosemary shampoo can help preserve
brain levels of choline and acetylcholine, enhanced by bean and lentil soups (naturally rich in choline)?
Does that mean that a daily regime of five choline-rich legume dishes plus scalp massage with rosemary/
lecithin, followed by rosemary shampoo, and finally a rosemary bath, could help stave off Alzheimer's
disease? There are herbs considerably richer than rosemary in antioxidant and acetylcholineconserving
dermally absorbed compounds. Oil extracts of these, used in dermal massage, could then
have acetylcholine conserving effects.
Thanks to the potential of synergy between the acetylcholine inhibitors, rosemary may truly deserve
its title as the “herb of remembrance.” Rosemary contains at least five dermally absorbed antioxidants
and at least five dermally absorbed anticholinesterase compounds, some of which readily cross the
blood–brain barrier. We speculate that some of them would work like tacrine, the first anticholinesterase
inhibitor approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Alzheimer's disease. It helps
about 25% of patients and is hepatotoxic to about the same percentage of livers.
The essential oil of Salvia lavandulaefolia is also generating interest in terms of acetylcholinesterase
activity. Perry and colleagues (2000), while working with the terpenoids found in S. lavendulaefolia,
such as α-pinene, 1,8-cineole, and camphor, found them to be weak uncompetitive reversible inhibitors
of human erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase. However, they found the whole oil to have significant
inhibitory activity on acetylcholinesterase. Provided that the inhibitory activity of the essential oil is
primarily due to the main inhibitory terpenoid constituents identified, S. lavandulaefolia appears to have
major synergic antiacetylcholinesterase activity among its constituents (Perry et al., 2000).
A 50% enzyme inhibition for the oil would occur at approximately 160 mg·–1 if the values of the
constituent terpenes individually acted in an additive manner. This is approximately 5000 times the
concentration of essential oil (0.03 mg· –1), providing 50% inhibition (Houghton, 2004). Obviously,
if there is not an unidentified constituent responsible, there is significant synergic activity between
the constituents.
A list of terpenes and plants with highest levels on a scale of 1 to 5 is presented in Table 13.3.
Dr. Duke's site:
Synergy Query
E' chiaro che il puzzle è un po' più complesso. Il fatto che mi colpisce sempre è che una volta soprattutto nelle erboristerie e/o drogherie, l'estratto di pianta secca era chiamata anche 'droga', ma non nel senso italiano, ma più propriamente inglese, di farmaco.
Spesso usiamo solo piccole quantità in cucina, ma le piante più comuni non sono da prendere sotto gamba. Prendete per esempio il limone, il suo olio essenziale ti 'rivitalizza', a me bastano 5-10 gocce, e lo stesso effetto lo si percepisce con l'olio di rosmarino... sono stimolanti colinerigici.
