Department of Pharmacology, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, Manipal, Karnataka, India.
Indian J Pharmacol. 2012 Jan;44(1):82-7. doi: 10.4103/0253-7613.91873.
Memory loss is universal and is the first symptom to manifest in majority of the patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease. This study is designed to investigate the effect of Ferula asafoetida linn. (F. foetida) extract on learning and memory in rats.
Learning and memory were evaluated using elevated plus maze and passive avoidance paradigm after the oral administration of two doses (200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg) of F. foetida aqueous extract with rivastigmine as positive control. Brain cholinesterase activity, serum thiols and cholesterol were also estimated.
Extract produced significant improvement in memory score i.e. step through latency at 400 mg/kg dose in passive avoidance model (P< 0.05) and dose-dependent improvement of transfer latency in elevated plus maze model (P< 0.001). Dose-dependent inhibition of brain cholinesterase (P< 0.001) and significant improvement in antioxidant levels (P< 0.05) were also noted.
Memory enhancing potential of F. foetida can be attributed to acetylcholinesterase inhibiting and antioxidant properties. Hence, dietary usage of F. foetida is beneficial and can also be employed as an adjuvant to existing anti-dementia therapies.
记忆丧失是普遍存在的，并且是大多数阿尔茨海默病患者首先表现出的症状。本研究旨在研究阿魏（F. foetida）提取物对大鼠学习和记忆的影响。
口服两种剂量（200mg/kg 和 400mg/kg）阿魏水提取物后，通过高架十字迷宫和被动回避范式评估学习和记忆，以利凡斯的明作为阳性对照。还估计了脑胆碱酯酶活性、血清巯基和胆固醇。
提取物在被动回避模型中（P<0.05）在 400mg/kg 剂量下显著提高了记忆评分，即通过潜伏期，并且在高架十字迷宫模型中表现出剂量依赖性的转移潜伏期改善（P<0.001）。还观察到脑胆碱酯酶的剂量依赖性抑制（P<0.001）和抗氧化水平的显著改善（P<0.05）。
阿魏的增强记忆潜力可归因于乙酰胆碱酯酶抑制和抗氧化特性。因此，阿魏的饮食使用是有益的，并且可以作为现有抗痴呆症疗法的辅助手段。
