, Reza Mohammadinasab 2
, Javad Ghazi Sharbaf 3
, Mostafa Araj-Khodaei 4
, Seyyed MohammadBagher Fazljou 5
, Mahnaz Talebi 6
, Saeed Sadigh-Eteghad 6
2Department of History of Medicine, School of Traditional Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
3Department of Islamic History & Civilization, Faculty of Theology, Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University, Tabriz, Iran
4Department of Persian Medicine, School of Traditional Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Neurosciences Research Center, Aging research institute, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
5Department of Persian Medicine, School of Traditional Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
6Neurosciences Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Abstract
In the last century, dementia became one of the most widespread diseases due to the aging world population. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia. Persian medical literatures have discussed disorders such as forgetfulness and their treatment under the topic “Nesian.” Causes of these medical conditions have been also categorized. Poor memory and improving its treatment methods have long been important in traditional medical teaching. For example, saffron is one of the herbs used as a memory enhancer, and it has been cited many times in the related literature. This study sought to consider the history of saffron in the treatment of dementia by examining authentic books of traditional Persian medicine and by describing examples of medicinal compounds affecting saffron-based medications. In reviewing these books, in the eighth century CE, three centuries before Avicenna, Ibn Hakam from Damascus was the first physician who deliberated the role of saffron in the treatment of dementia in his book Haroniye (Aaron’s book). After him, other great scholars including IbnSina, Ibn Elias Shirazi, and Dawood ibn Omar Antaki developed saffron-based formulas to improve the memory status of patients with forgetfulness.