STUDY PROTOCOL article
Front. Med.
Sec. Family Medicine and Primary Care
This article is part of the Research TopicChallenges and Innovations in Healthcare Management and Long-Term Care for an Aging SocietyView all 40 articles
EFFECTS OF BACOPA MONNIERI HERBAL SUPPLEMENT ON AGING AND NEUROCOGNITIVE FUNCTIONS) WITH RELATION TO PRAKRITI (CONSTITUTION) OF HEALTHY ADULTS. CLINICAL TRIAL PROTOCOL
Provisionally accepted
- 1University of Colombo Faculty of Indigenous Medicine, Rajagiriya, Sri Lanka
- 2University of Colombo Faculty of Medicine, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
Abstract Background; Aging is an irreversible process shaped by genetic and environmental factors. Beyond physical and mental decline, it involves complex biological mechanisms. Programmed theories propose aging follows a biological clock, while error theories attribute it to environmental damage. A key mechanism is telomere shortening; once critically shortened, cells enter senescence. Telomerase preserves telomeres, but its activity decreases with age. Aging also causes cognitive decline, measurable through tools like electroencephalography (EEG). Study Design; This two-arm, double blind, placebo-controlled superiority randomized controlled trial evaluates the effects of Bacopa monnieri freeze-dried herbal decoction (BMFD) on aging and cognition. Elderly participants (MoCA ≥ 24) will be randomized to receive BMFD or placebo, administered as 120 ml twice daily for 45 days, with assessments at baseline, 45, and 90 days. Conducted at the Clinical Trial Center, Faculty of Indigenous Medicine, University of Colombo, the trial tests BMFD's ability to stabilize aging processes and enhance neurocognitive functions. Outcomes; Primary outcomes include telomerase activity and telomere length (qPCR), Secondary outcomes include neurocognitive function (validated MoCA for the Sri Lankan population, neurophysiological functions -peripheral nerve conduction (upper and lower limb nerves) and brain electrical activity (EEG) and assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL) using a validated questionnaire. Discussion; This trial will provide evidence on BMFD's potential to preserve telomere length, support cognitive functions, and slow aging processes. Integrating Ayurvedic principles, including constitution (Prakriti), it aims to enable early detection of cognitive decline and aging-related changes. Findings are expected to inform preventive and personalized strategies, contributing to evidence-based applications of Bacopa monnieri in healthy aging. Trial registration: ISRCTN64126920 https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN64126920
Keywords: anti-aging, Bacopa, neurocognition, prakriti, Telomers
Received: 10 Sep 2025; Accepted: 04 Feb 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 HLNR, Kamal Perera, PR, Samaranayake and W.D.N. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Pradeep HLNR
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.