A plant compound that is found in several different spices could help strengthen the brain, possibly helping to prevent neurological ailments such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, preliminary research shows.

The substance, known as apigenin, is a flavonoid that occurs naturally in parsley, thyme, chamomile and red pepper.   Flavonoids have been shown to have antioxidant-like benefits and may help boost memory and learning.

The Brazilian research team observed that just by applying apigenin to human stem cells in a dish they become neurons after 25 days -- an effect they would not see without the substance.  Moreover, the neurons that were formed made stronger and sophisticated connections among themselves after being treated with this natural compound, they say.

This demonstrates that apigenin works by binding to estrogen receptors, which affect the development, maturation, function, and plasticity of the nervous system. This finding could possibly show a new pathway to prevent or delay the onset of such psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders such as schizophrenia, depression, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, they add.

“Flavonoids are present at high amounts in some foods and we can speculate that a diet rich in flavonoids may influence the formation of neurons and the way they communicate within the brain,” says Dr. Stevens Rehens, one of the researchers involved in the study, which appears in Advances in Regenerative Biology.