[nickvalo]

I have been researching the possible source plants for Cogane, and although first I thought it might be ginseng, the patent issued to Phytopharm hints that the source plant is in the Smilax family and, more specifically, sarpogenins from Sarsaparilla plants.

Here are some excerpts from the patent:

"A pharmaceutical composition having cognitive function enhancing properties which comprises a pharmacologically effective amount of a saponin or sapogenin derived from a plant of the genus Smilax, Asparagus,Anemarrhena, Yucca or Agave."
...
with these listed as of particular interest in the patent, with no mention of ginseng:

Smilax regelii (Kilip & Morton, Honduran sarsaparilla)
Smilax aristolochiaefolia (Miller, mexican sarsaparilla)
Smilax ornata (Hooker, Jamaican sarsaparilla)
Smilax aspera (Spanish sarsaparilla)
Smilax glabra (Roxburgh)
Smilax febrifuga (Kunth, Ecuadorian or Perivian sarsaparilla)
Anemarrhena asphodeloides (Bunge)
Yucca schidigera (Roezl ex Ortgies)
Yucca brevifolia (Engelm)

It's also interesting to see that original patents for this that were filed in early 2000's just talked about the plants themselves, while the latest patents filed in late 2000's (including 2010) talk about a "more effective" chemically modified version (a.k.a., patentable).

Has anyone ever heard of Sarsaparilla (or other Smilax plant) used for steroidal regeneration of neurons for treatment of Parkinson's and Alzheimers?
I have not seen any good info outside of what the patent says.