Turmeric compound reduced brain protein deposits in mice
In a two-month experiment in mice modeling Alzheimer’s disease, the compound also reduced markers of senescence, a state in which cells stop dividing.
Limit: Treatment lasted only two months, limiting assessment of sustained reductions in brain protein deposits
Edited by Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
In an animal experiment, six-month-old 3xTg-AD mice, genetically modified to model Alzheimer’s disease, received bisdemethoxycurcumin, a turmeric compound, at 50 or 100 milligrams per kilogram of body weight for two months. Compared with untreated mice of the same model, treated mice had less amyloid beta, a protein that forms deposits, in the hippocampus, a brain region involved in memory. They also had higher levels of proteins involved in autophagy, the cell’s waste-recycling process, and lower indicators of senescence, a state in which cells stop dividing. Treated mice performed better on tests of working memory and muscle coordination.
In separate experiments, mouse astrocytes—brain-supporting cells grown in the lab—showed reduced senescence indicators with the compound. Reducing AMPK, a protein that regulates autophagy, blunted this effect.
Why it matters
Senescence and impaired cellular recycling accompany Alzheimer’s disease. The study explored whether targeting these age-related processes could help manage the disease.
Caveats
These experiments used a genetically modified mouse model and lab-grown mouse cells. They do not show whether the compound benefits people with Alzheimer’s disease.
The paper
Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine
Autophagy Reports, Jun 7, 2026, Open access
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