Plant extracts made of sideritis and use thereof to boost cognitive performance

Abstract

The invention relates to aboveground plant parts of Sideritis ssp. or extracts produced therefrom for use to boost cognitive performance.

1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . An extract from aerial plant parts of  Sideritis  ssp. for use for enhancing cognitive performance, wherein said aerial plant parts are fresh or dried parts of plants selected from the group of  Sideritis euboa, Sideritis scardica, Sideritis raiseri,  or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The extract according to  claim 15 , wherein said enhancement of cognitive performance is enhancement of learning performance, preferably enhancement of memory, more preferably in an existing stress situation. 
     
     
         17 . The extract according to  claim 16 , wherein said existing stress situation is stressful situations or neurodegenerative diseases, especially exam stress in connection with new tasks or in special situations. 
     
     
         18 . The extract according to  claim 15 , wherein the proportion from  Sideritis scardica  being at least 50%, preferably at least 80%. 
     
     
         19 . The extract according to  claim 15 , wherein said aerial plant parts were harvested at the time of flowering. 
     
     
         20 . The extract according to  claim 15 , wherein said extract has been prepared by means of an extractant selected from the group consisting of water, monohydric and polyhydric alcohols and ketones, preferably alcohols or ketones with 1 to 4 carbon atoms or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         21 . The extract according to  claim 20 , wherein said extract has been prepared with an extractant temperature of from 20 to 100 ° C., preferably at temperatures 10 ° C. below the boiling temperature of the extractant. 
     
     
         22 . The extract according to  claim 20 , wherein said extractant has been removed at least partially, preferably by means of reduced pressure. 
     
     
         23 . The extract according to  claim 22 , wherein said extract has been dried, preferably by freeze-drying, spray drying, belt conveyor drying, vacuum drying, roller drying, or a combination of such methods. 
     
     
         24 . The extract according to  claim 15 , wherein said aerial plant parts or extracts are contained in a food, food supplement, a supplementing balanced diet, or a pharmaceutical formulation. 
     
     
         25 . The extract according to  claim 24 , wherein said aerial plant parts or extracts are in the form of a tablet, capsule, chewing formulation, sucking formulation, effervescent formulation, granules, beverage, or instant formulation, especially an instant tea formulation. 
     
     
         26 . The extract according to  claim 15  in connection with physiologically tolerable auxiliaries, preferably from the group of carbohydrates, preferably starch degradation products, such as maltodextrin, glucose syrup, sugars, cellulose and its corresponding carbohydrate derivatives, from the group of proteins, such as gum arabic, collagens and collagen hydrolyzates. 
     
     
         27 . The extract according to  claim 15  in combination with nootropics, preferably selected from acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, especially from the group of donezepil, galantamine, rivastigmine, tacrine and derivatives thereof, further preferably GABA analogues, especially piracetam and derivatives thereof, further preferably ergot derivatives, especially nicergoline, dihydroergotoxine and derivatives thereof, and further preferably NMDA antagonists, especially memantine. 
     
     
         28 . Use of extracts from aerial plant parts of  Sideritis  ssp. for the non-medical enhancement of cognitive performance, wherein said aerial plant parts are fresh or dried parts of plants selected from the group of  Sideritis euboa, Sideritis scardica, Sideritis raiseri,  or mixtures thereof.