Discovery of the Longevity Herb: Sideritis Scardica and Its Potential Health Benefits, Including Alzheimer’s Disease
Sideritis scardica Griseb. (Lamiaceae), a perennial hairy shrub with yellow flowers blooming on the stem, known as the “longevity tea,” grows on rocky ground at high altitudes and has been used in traditional medicine in Eastern Europe since ancient times against a wide range of illnesses such as common cold, bronchitis, kidney diseases, and gastrointestinal disorders (Chinou, 2015).
Longevity tea has recently become increasingly popular in the EU (European Union), where the herb is available as a dietary supplement.
Anti-inflammatory effects, cognitive enhancement, and triple monoamine reuptake inhibition of extracts and isolated compounds have been reported, likely attributable to the content of phenolic compounds and terpenoids (Knörle, 2012).
A study revealed anti-inflammatory and gastroprotective activities in rats and cytotoxic effects on tumor cell lines, HL60, and PBMC, of extracts and flavones from longevity tea (Tadić et al., 2012).
Recently, promising results from studies on ovariectomized rats have been reported for the improvement of glucose tolerance and triglyceride levels, as well as antioxidant effects of a 70% aqueous ethanolic extract of longevity tea, possibly mediated through AMPK activation (Jeremic et al., 2019).
Recently, the herbal tea made from longevity tea has been approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) as a traditionally used herbal medicinal product (THMP) based on its longstanding use for the relief of cough associated with colds and mild gastrointestinal discomfort (European Medicines Agency, 2015).
Therefore, further research is needed to bridge the knowledge gap between traditional use information and the potentially multifaceted effects and underlying mechanisms of bioactive compounds of longevity tea.
This study aims to conduct a phytochemical screening of a variety of extracts and explore the in vitro anti-inflammatory effects of extracts and isolated polyphenols of longevity tea with an emphasis on the neurodegenerative disease Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) to discover new bioactive compounds that may contribute to the improvement of global health challenges related to AD.
BuOH, DCM, and EtOAc fractions were isolated from the crude EtOH extract of the aerial parts of longevity tea and further purified by chromatographic methods. Eleven phenolic compounds were isolated. Extracts and compounds were evaluated for immunomodulatory, enzyme-interacting, and cytotoxic properties.
The crude extract, EtOAc fraction, precipitate, BuOH fraction, verbascoside, and acetylallosylglucosyl-isoscutellarein 4′-methyl ether showed DPPH scavenging activity. The EtOAc fraction and echinaticin showed XO inhibitory activity. The DCM fraction reduced nitric oxide production in D2SC/1 dendritic cells and demonstrated potent activity in a human complement assay.
Verbascoside and chlorogenic acid lowered NO levels without affecting cell viability in D2SC/1 dendritic cells.
The results reveal this herb’s broad-spectrum activity, which might serve as a multi-target system in Alzheimer’s disease.
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Source: Nastaran Moussavi, Hasina Azizullah, Karl E. Malterud, Kari T. Inngjerdingen, Helle Wangensteen, Immunomodulating polyphenols from Sideritis scardica, Journal of Functional Foods, Volume 96, 2022, 105197, ISSN 1756-4646, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jff.2022.105197.
