OT!! Pond Scum: Ally in Alzheimer's Fight?

[Guest guest]

Dear Group,

For those concerned about Alzheimer's and other brain disorders, here

is a place I wouldn't have thought to look for research:

pond scum!

http://www.webmd.com/content/article/116/112324?printing=true

<<Pond Scum: Ally in Alzheimer's Fight?

Swiss Scientists Say Pond Scum Algae May Inspire New Brain Drugs

By Miranda Hitti

WebMD Medical News Reviewed By Louise Chang, MD

on Thursday, December 29, 2005

Dec. 29, 2005 -- In the hunt for new drugs for Alzheimer's disease and

other brain disorders, Swiss scientists are turning to an unlikely

ally: pond scum.

They're not dredging up algae and feeding it to lab mice. At least,

not yet.

So far, the scientists have just done lab tests on a compound made by

cyanobacteria -- commonly called " blue-green algae " -- and they like

what they've seen. Cyanobacteria are not true algae, but bacterial

organisms which live in the water and have photosynthetic properties

like plants.

Becher of the University of Zurich and colleagues report the

findings in the Journal of Natural Products.

Don't get the wrong idea from the journal's name. This study isn't

about a product that's on the market. It could be years before anyone

knows if this early research will actually help anyone facing Alzheimer's.

Still, pond scum's image is looking up -- for the moment, anyway.

Algae Ingredient

Talk about humble beginnings. The compound studied by Becher's team

originally came from cyanobacteria in a wastewater lagoon. It was then

frozen, dried, and purified.

Next, the scientists used lasers and chemicals to analyze the

compound, which is called nostocarboline.

Then came the big test. The researchers exposed nostocarboline to a

type of enzyme called cholinesterase. The algae compound thwarted

cholinesterase.

Here's why that's a big deal. Cholinesterase breaks down a brain

chemical called acetylcholine. People with Alzheimer's disease have

low levels of acetylcholine.

Working against the action of cholinesterase can help with

acetylcholine levels. Some current Alzheimer's drugs (such as Aricept,

Exelon, and Razadyne) target cholinesterase in a similar fashion. The

researchers compared the strength of cholinesterase-inhibiting

activity of nostocarboline with that of Razadyne and found it to be

similar.

Nostocarboline might one day lead to new drugs that counter brain

diseases, the researchers write.

SOURCES: Becher, P. Journal of Natural Products, Dec. 26, 2005; vol

68: pp 1793-1795. News release, American Chemical Society. Columbia

University Press Encyclopedia>>