Bacopa monnieri for Disorders Affecting Brain: Current Perspectives

Abstract

Bacopa monnieri (BM) is of immense therapeutic potential in today’s world. This review is aimed to project the beneficial role of BM in disorders affecting the brain, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, epilepsy and depression. The active constituents and metabolites responsible for the effects of BM could be bacoside A and B, bacopaside I and II, bacopasaponin C, betulinic acid, asiatic acid, loliolide, ebelin lactone and quercetin. The mechanistic role of BM in brain disorders might be related to its ability to modulate neurotransmission, neurogenesis, neuronal/glial plasticity, intracellular signaling, epigenetics, cerebral blood flow, energy metabolism, protein folding, endoplasmic reticulum stress, neuroendocrine system, oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis. We have also discussed CDRI-08, clinical trials, safety, emerging formulation technologies, as well as BM combinations and dietary supplements. To propel the clinical translation of BM in disorders affecting the brain, strategies to improve brain delivery via novel formulations and integration of the preclinical findings into large and well-defined clinical trials, in appropriate age groups and sex, specifically in patient population against existing medications as well as placebo, are essentially required.

Investigating the Neuroprotective and Cognitive-Enhancing Effects of Bacopa monnieri: A Systematic Review Focused on Inflammation, Oxidative Stress, Mitochondrial Dysfunction, and Apoptosis

“…Bacopasapin A-H are jujubogenin and pseudojujubogenin derivatives, and bacopasaponin C accounts for 0.3-0.6% of BM ethanolic extracts. Cucurbitacin, bacitracin A-D, and cucurbitacin E play several roles in plants and animals and are also present in BM extracts, as well as betulinic acid [40,45,84].…”

“…Bacoside A, bacoside B, bacopasaponin C, bacopaside I and II, asiatic acid, betulinic acid, loliolide, and quercetin can modulate intracellular signaling pathways, neuronal/glial plasticity, neurotransmission, neurogenesis, cerebral blood flow, energetic metabolism, reduction of oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, inflammation, and apoptosis. These effects can benefit brain impairment and, therefore, can reduce depression, cognition, memory, epilepsy events, dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease [45].…”

“…Bacopasapin A-H are jujubogenin and pseudojujubogenin derivatives, and bacopasaponin C accounts for 0.3-0.6% of BM ethanolic extracts. Cucurbitacin, bacitracin A-D, and cucurbitacin E play several roles in plants and animals and are also present in BM extracts, as well as betulinic acid [40,45,84]. BM water or alcoholic extracts are also recognized by exhibiting dammarene type triterpenoid saponins (with jujubogenin or pseudo-jujubogenin as aglycones), bacopaside I-III, III-V, and bacosides A1-A3, and bacopasaponins A-G.…”

“…Antioxidants 2024, 13, x FOR PEER REVIEW 10 of 39 [40,93] Bacogenin Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant [45] Bacopasaponin C…”

“…Recently, this plant has been widely described for its pharmacologically active phytoconstituents, such as bacopasaponin C, bacosides A and B, bacopasides I and II, loliolide, betulinic acid, asiatic acid, ebelin lactone, and quercetin. BM mechanism of action in brain diseases may be related to its ability to modulate neurotransmission, neurogenesis, neuronal plasticity, intracellular signaling, epigenetics, cerebral blood flow, energy metabolism, protein folding, endoplasmic reticulum stress, neuroendocrine system, and apoptosis [44][45][46][47]. BM is also known for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-hepatotoxic functions.…”