Phytochemicals and Natural Extracts, Secondary Metabolites of Plants and Improvement of Brain Function

Memory, one of the most enhanced functions of human being, proclaims an activity-dependent synaptic plasticity at various synaptic levels in the brain. Among the most important functions of the brain, memory and language processing and thought processes and intelligence play an important role in cognition. To improve cognitive functions in terms of general intelligence, enhance learning abilities, good thinking, and react faster, and boost memory, many groups of compounds in various combinations called nootropics are therapeutically used. Antipsychotics, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, NMDAR drugs, and selective estrogen receptor modulators are commonly used allopathic drugs that improve brain cognition. Siddha and Ayurvedic medicinal products like Ashwagandha, Centella asiatica, Terminalia chebula, Bacopa monnieri, and Shankhpushpi were administered after scientific studies to boost memory and enhance the intellectual capacity in human beings. They contain polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), polyphenols, phenols, flavonoids, tannins, terpenoids, alkaloids, steroids, glycosides, anthocyanins, etc. that help to modulate brain function at the molecular level.