Effects of plants and drugs on behavioral and cognitive biochemical alterations of ageing (experimental and clinical studies)

• Grant number: 94/00545-4
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• Start date: January 01, 1995
• End date: March 31, 1998
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Pharmacology - Neuropsychopharmacology
• Principal Investigator: Elisaldo Luiz de Araujo Carlini
• Grantee: Elisaldo Luiz de Araujo Carlini
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Some Brazilian plants are popularly used for several therapeutic purposes, such as stimulant, sedative, tonic, aphrodisiac, among others. Old persons are the target for the consumption of these popular medicines because of the natural decline of their psychic functioning, such as memory and attention, mainly the so called recent memory. At a biochemical level, the mechanisms of aging may be considered as a response to the to de imbalance between the formation of active oxygen species and the antioxidant mechanism present in the living organism. Under the light of these ideas a few plants are being investigated in regard to their possible effects on behavior of old animals and also under the biochemical point of view. In case of confirmation that a plant has an effect on the performance of old animals and/or present an anti-oxidant effect, a clinical phase of this research will beplanned. A third line of this thematic project is to delineate the pattern of consumption of marketed medicines and plant popular remedies by the old population of São Paulo city, taking into consideration different sources of information available and the socio-economic and cultural factors that may influence such consumption. (AU)