Early intervention with an estrogen receptor β-selective phytoestrogenic formulation prolongs survival, improves spatial recognition memory, and slows progression of amyloid pathology in a female mouse model of Alzheimer's disease

The goal of this study was to investigate the efficacy, in young female 3x Tg-AD mice, of a phyto- β-SERM formulation in the regulation of early stages of physical and neurological changes associated with AD. Results demonstrated that when initiated prior to the appearance of any signs of AD-related behavior or neuropathology, a 9-month dietary supplementation with the phyto-β-SERM formulation, at a dose biologically equivalent to a daily intake of 50mg in humans, promoted physical health, prolonged survival, improved spatial recognition memory, and attenuated eventual amyloid-beta deposition and plaque formation in treated AD mice. In comparison, dietary supplementation of a commercial soy extract preparation showed no effect on cognitive measures, although it appeared to have a positive impact on beta amyloid pathology. These findings, along with those found in a preclinical model of human menopause , have recently led to a clinical trial of the phyto-β-SERM formulation designed to evaluate the dosage/safety, pharmacokinetics, and proof-of-concept efficacy to mitigate hot flash frequency and memory deficits in menopausal women (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01723917).