Substance from coffee will help cure Alzheimer's disease, scientists have found

Scientists from the Kazan Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, KFU, KNRTU-KHTI, and IMC RAS have created a new series of molecules based on the natural antioxidant pyrocatechin, which could become the key to more effective therapy for Alzheimer's disease, as reported by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation.

According to BAKU.WS with reference to "Gazeta.Ru", pyrocatechin was first isolated back in 1839 and is found in many plants, including wood and resins, and is also contained in coffee, possessing pronounced anti-inflammatory properties.

The research group has developed inhibitors - molecules capable of suppressing the activity of the butyrylcholinesterase enzyme (BChE), which plays an important role in the development of Alzheimer's disease. Reducing the activity of this enzyme contributes to the accumulation of neurotransmitters, which ensure the transmission of signals between nerve cells and are critically important for memory and learning.

The new compounds act slowly: they gradually attach to the enzyme and reduce its activity over a certain period of time. This mechanism allows for reducing the dosage of the drug and providing a longer therapeutic effect, which is especially important in neurodegenerative diseases, where a stable concentration of the substance in synapses plays a crucial role.

According to the experimental results, the molecules block the enzyme for approximately 7.8 minutes at a concentration of only 8 mg/l.

The development simultaneously affects several mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease. Unlike existing drugs - such as donepezil and rivastigmine, which are limited in effectiveness and toxicity - the new compounds promise to be safer, more selective, and more effective. Researchers call their work a step towards creating a new generation of drugs.