Several natural remedies are used in the Traditional
Persian Medicine (TPM) to prevent
dementia, but their efficacy is debated. In this work, an improved "Safoof-e-Nesyān" formulation described in the "Qarābādin-e-Azam" pharmacopoeia was developed, and its chemical composition and
antioxidant and
anti-cholinesterase properties were assessed. The formulation contains a mixture (FM) of Cinnamomum cassia (CC), C. verum (CV), Pistacia lentiscus (PL), Rheum palmatum (RP), Syzygium aromaticum (SA), and Zingiber officinalis (ZO) powdered plants. Its total phenolic content is 110.45 mg GAE/g, while the total
flavonoid content is 6.28 mg RE/g. 66 secondary metabolites (mainly
tannins,
flavonoids,
anthraquinones, and gingerols) were identified by UPLC-QToF-MS analysis. FM exerts
antioxidant effects by scavenging radicals, and by reducing and chelating metals such as Mb, Cu and Fe. The
anticholinesterase activity of one gram of the FM equals that of 3.60 mg of the reference drug
galantamine, on both acetyl- and butyryl-
cholinesterase. Correlations between specific compounds and bioactivities were highlighted by multivariate analysis of data:
lyoniresinol 9'-glucoside strongly correlates with antiradical activities on DPPH and
ABTS and reducing activity on Cu, and with anti-AChE effects. Most of the identified
flavonoids and the
ellagic acid derivatives positively correlate with the reducing activity on Fe and Mb, and with anti-BChE effects. Finally, a
tablet formulation of the FM was developed, and its physical properties were preliminarily assessed. Overall, our results indicate that the FM may be a useful natural remedy for
dementia, although further safety and efficacy assessments in vivo are required.