From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report.In the future, chemicals from plants found in and around the Mediterraneanmay be used to help treat people with brain diseasessuch as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.These two diseases are age-related and neurodegenerative.Neurodegenerative relates to the degeneration of nervous tissue, especially the brain.People suffering from Alzheimer's and Parkinson'shave deposits of sticky plaque in their brains.Over time, this plaque reduces brain function.Eventually, it causes death.But scientists say the plaque deposits can be reducedwith chemicals from plants, including prickly pear and brown seaweed.Scientists say the chemicals — or, extracts — appear to replacethe harmful, sticky plaque with deposits that are less harmful.These scientists are researchers at the University of Maltaand the National Center of Scientific Research at the University of Bordeaux.They tested the chemical extracts of the plantson a substance called Brewer's yeast.This yeast had plaque deposits similar to those seen in Alzheimer's disease.Scientists say the health of the yeast improved greatlyafter exposure to the chemical extracts.Researchers then tested the extracts in fruit fliesthat were genetically changed to develop symptoms of Alzheimer's.They found that when the flies were given brown seaweed extract,their lifespans increased by two days.Prickly pear helped the insects live four days longer.That may not sound like a long time.However, the researchers remind us that one day in the life of a fruit flyis equal to one human year.Researchers also noted that movement in some diseased insects improved.They reported their findings in the journal Neuroscience Letters.Researchers say that the sticky plaques in both Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseasesappear to form through the same biological pathways.Targeting these pathways, they say, is the best way to fight the diseases.The lead author of the study is Ruben Cauchi of the University of Malta'sCenter for Molecular Medicine and Biobanking.He says the Mediterranean plant extractsare already used in health foods and some cosmetics.So, they are very safe.The research team is working with a company that extracts the chemicalsfor commercial use as so-called "fountain of youth" products.And that's the Health & Lifestyle report.