In China, clinical trials have begun on a new drug based on cotton flavonoids to combat Alzheimer's disease.
According to Xinhua, scientists at the Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry at the Chinese Academy of Sciences began their research in 2003 and announced on the eve of the new year that the work was successful. In preliminary experiments, flavonoids isolated from cotton - compounds responsible for plant metabolism, among other things - improved the memory of laboratory mice and prevented the aging process of their bodies.
Scientists have identified 20 flavonoids found in cotton flowers and have created a medicine based on them that can help relieve Alzheimer's symptoms in small doses. The institute has already signed a corresponding contract with one of the pharmaceutical companies, and clinical trials of the drug have now begun. According to the news agency, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is one of the largest suppliers of cotton to the PRC. Before the health benefits of cotton flower petals were discovered, they were destroyed. After the research results, the flowers appeared on the market for 15 yuan (about $ 2.30) per kilogram.