Aqueous extracts of FBD, a Chinese herb formula composed of Poria cocos, Atractylodes macrocephala, and Angelica sinensis reverse scopolamine induced memory deficit in ICR mice

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the principal type of dementia among the elderly. In AD patients, there is a decreased level of acetylcholine (ACh) in some brain regions, such as the cerebral cortex and hippocampus, correlated critically to learning and memory (Davies & Maloney, 1976). Based on the cholinergic hypothesis that cognitive impairments in AD patients result from a defect in the cholinergic system, an important approach to treat AD is to enhance ACh level in brain by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase (AChE) (Leonard, 2004). AChE inhibitors have been widely used for the treatment of AD, such as donepezil (Lahiri et al., 2002). However, their applications were limited owing to the short halflife and peripheral adverse effects, as well as hepatotoxicity (Farlow et al., 1992; Knapp et al., 1994; Rogers et al., 1998). Recently, natural botanical AChE inhibitors indicated potential as alternative and safe therapies for AD (Chattipakorn et al., 2007; Kim et al., 2007; Rubio et al., 2007). As documented in Pharmacopeia of the People’s Republic of China, fu ling [Poria, or the sclerotium of the fungus of Poria cocos (Schw.) Wolf (Polyporaceae)], bai zhu [white atractylodes rhizome, or the rhizome of Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz.(Compositae)], and