For hundreds of years, traditional healers in the Sao Tome and Principe archipelago, off the coast of Gabon, Africa, have used certain plants to soothe their patients. According to American researchers from Salk institute for biological studiesthe properties of these plants would not be a legend, but would indeed act on neurodegenerative disorders.
A local shrub, the Voacanga africana, particularly caught their attention. Its leaves and bark are used to reduce inflammation and relieve mental disorders. In a study published by the journal Journal of Ethnopharmacologythe scientists indicate that they have discovered that one of its compounds protects the cells from the alterations linked to the disease ofAlzheimer’sParkinson, and post-stroke degeneration.
To arrive at this conclusion, they worked for three months side by side with local healers, studying three types of plants from Sao Tome and Principe known for their effects on the nervous system. Even at low doses, Voacanga africana has given very promising initial results. Its qualities would come from one of its molecules, voacamine, a powerful alkaloid and a potential pharmacological treatment.
