Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors

Alzheimer disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that gradually leads to cognitive decline and memory impairment Standard therapies like Donepezil and Memantine help alleviate symptoms but their effect on the advancement of disease is restricted. Natural compounds such as Carum Copticum Benth (Ajwain) and its active constituent Thymol, exhibit neuroprotective and cognitive enhancement effects indicating a potential therapeutic effect on AD. This research provides a comparative effectiveness evaluation on the application of Carum Copticum and Thyme oil (Thymol, primarily) with or without standard treatments in the AD-like model mice.

We created a model of AD in rats with aluminium chloride (AlCl3) and D-galactose. There were six groups, Healthy Control, Diseased Control (AD), Donepezil-, Memantine-, Carum Copticum- and Carum Copticum + Thymol-treated. A series of behaviour tests including the Elevated Plus Maze (EPM) and Novel Object Recognition (NOR) for anxiety and memory were performed. acetylcholine levels, acetylcholinesterase (AchE) activity, and M1 receptors were measured by biochemical measures of pre-frontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus (HC).

The AD group showed dramatic cognitive declines: there was less novel object searching on the NOR and more anxiety-like behavior on the EPM. Biochemical measurements demonstrated cholinergic deficiencies: reduced acetylcholine and elevated AchE in the PFC and HC. Treatment with Carum Copticum and Thymol produced dramatic changes in both behavioural and biochemical variables, just like Donepezil and Memantine. Notably, Carum Copticum and Thymol restored acetylcholine levels and modulated M1 receptor expression, suggesting a role in enhancing cholinergic transmission and providing neuroprotection.

Carum Copticum and Thymol show potential as therapeutic agents for AD, demonstrating cognitive and behavioural improvements in an AD model. By modulating acetylcholine levels and AchE activity, these compounds may offer a dual mechanism of neuroprotection and cognitive enhancement. Future studies should investigate these findings in clinical settings, exploring Carum Copticum and Thymol as Adjunct or alternative treatments to conventional AD therapies.