A compound found in the common kitchen herb rosemary and Sage inspired potential new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study published in February by the Scripps Research Institute.
The study, published February 28 in the journal Antioxidants, details how researchers developed a stable form of sarcoma acid, a natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compound, found that it improved memory function and reduced brain inflammation in mice with Alzheimer’s symptoms.
“By fighting inflammation and oxidative stress with this DIACCA compound, we actually increased the number of synapses in the brain,” said senior author Scripps Research, a clinical neurologist in La Jolla, California. “We also deleted other misfolded or aggregated proteins, such as phosphorylated-TAU and amyloid beta, which are thought to trigger Alzheimer’s disease and serve as biomarkers of the disease process.”
The connection between rosemary and memory has historical roots. As Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet: “There is rosemary, and that’s for the memory.” Given the latest scientific developments, this literary reference now seems to be prescient.
From kitchen herbs to laboratory innovation
Creatine fights inflammation by activating the body’s natural defense system, a key factor associated with a decline in cognitive abilities in Alzheimer’s disease, which affects millions of Americans as the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.
Although pure myristic acid has promising properties, its instability makes it impractical as a drug. To overcome this challenge, Leighton collaborated with Dr. Richard A. Lerner, Ph.D., to develop a more stable derivative called Diacca in the Department of Chemistry at Scripps Research.
Before entering the bloodstream, the modified compound is completely converted into sarcoma acid in the digestive system and can then reach the brain. Importantly, Diacca has significant advantages over pure cinnamic acid, including longer shelf life and better bioavailability.
Targeted inflammatory battles
What makes this compound particularly noteworthy is its selective activation. The drug is activated by inflammation it subsequently fights, meaning it will only be active in areas of the brain damaged by inflammation. This selective approach may limit side effects.
When administered to the designed mice develop to develop symptoms of Alzheimer’s, Diacca reaches therapeutic doses in the brain and leads to measurable improvement. Microscopy showed increased synaptic density (an essential connection for neural cells to learn and memory) and decreased inflammation in the brain.
The researchers performed various memory tests on the mice during a three-month treatment. “We did a number of different memory tests and improved with the drug,” Lipton noted. “And it not only slowed down but fell; it almost improved normal.”
Analysis of brain tissue reveals other positive changes: increased and decreased neuronal connections of protein aggregates associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
Security and future potential
DIACCA’s security seems promising. The compound is well tolerated and even shows a beneficial effect on baseline inflammation of the digestive tract in toxicity studies.
Sarcoma acid already has the “Generally considered safe” (GRAS) of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, a name that may simplify the approval process for DIACCA human clinical trials.
Lipton said the new compound could complement existing treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. “It can make existing amyloid antibody therapies work better by eliminating or limiting their side effects,” he explained.
In addition to Alzheimer’s disease, researchers believe Diaka may have applications for other diseases characterized by inflammation, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease and Parkinson’s disease.
The road ahead
Although the results in mice are encouraging, clinical trials in humans will be the next step in determining whether these benefits translate into Alzheimer’s disease patients. The team hopes that DIACCA can be fast tracked through clinical trials due to its safety.
This study represents an increasing scientific interest in compounds derived from natural sources that may help solve complex neurological diseases. By building traditional medicinal herbal knowledge with modern chemistry and neuroscience, researchers are discovering new possibilities for treating previously thorny diseases.
The study was supported by several grants from the National Institutes of Health, including contributions from several other scientists from Scripps Research and Socrates Biosciences.
For millions of families affected by Alzheimer’s disease, innovations like DIACCA hope that more effective treatments will come soon – treatments are not only slowly declining, but may reverse some of the damage caused by this destructive condition.
This study “DIACCA, a creatine prototoxic agent that activates the NRF2 transcriptional pathway, showed efficacy in a 5xFAD transgenic mouse model published in antioxidants on February 28, 2025”.
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