Berberine Alkaloid as a Medicament for Prophylaxis and Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease

The present invention is directed to method of preventing or treating neural disease or inhibiting accumulation of β-amyloid plaques in a subject by administering an effective dosage to the subject an agent (berberine) which inhibits the accumulation of β-amyloid- plaque, phospho-amyloid precursor protein (p-APP) and tau hyperphosphorylation in a mammalian brain