Neurobiology of Chinese Herb Medicine

Acorus Calamus Extract and Sweet Flag Extract

"Acori Calami Rhizoma" is the dried rhizome of Acorus calamus L. (Acoraceae), which although not indicated for AD-like symptoms in the Pharmacopeia of the People's Republic of China (CPC, 2010), is one of the most frequently reported ingredients of classical CHM formulas for memory impairment associated with aging (May et al., 2016). The rhizomes of A. calamus [Shi Chang Pu] are used in Far Eastern traditional medicine for memory improvement (Oh, Houghton, Whang, & Cho, 2004). Investigations arising from a similar use in Ayurvedic medicine led to the identification of A-asarone as an AChE inhibitor (Mukherjee, Kumar, Mal, & Houghton, 2007). The related A-asarone, also present in A. calamus, was shown to improve memory in rats injected with A-amyloid (AB) (Lim