Characteristic features of a perilous neuro-degenerative disease such as the Alzhiemer's disease is fibrillar plaque formation by the amyloid (A beta) peptide. We have modelled the formation and disintegration of fibrils by studying the aggregate structures formed by A beta structural motif diphenylalanine as well as insulin and bovine serum albumin at the organic aqueous interface. Even small concentrations of curcumin in the organic medium or Cu2+ and Zn2+ ions in the aqueous medium are found to break down the fibrillar structures. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.