ameliorates scopolamine-induced amnesia in rats: Behavioral, biochemical, and molecular evidence.

OBJECTIVE

Hydroethanolic extract of seeds (HEZA) in scopolamine-induced amnesia was investigated for memory enhancing activity.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Radial arm maze (RAM) test was performed to evaluate the behavioral activity. Rats were treated with HEZA (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, p. o.) and tacrine (3 mg/kg. i. p.) for 14 days. Scopolamine (0.4 mg/kg) was injected i. p. into rats after 45 min of drug administration on the 14 day. The messenger RNA (mRNA)/protein profile of few markers (acetylcholinesterase [], heme oxygenase-1 [], nuclear factor-kappa B [], nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 [], protein phosphatase 2A[], , brain-derived neurotrophic factor [BDNF], tropomyosin-related kinase B [TrkB], Bcl-2-associated X protein [Bax], and Caspase-3) were also measured by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and immunoblotting assay. Brain cytokines (tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNF-α], interleukin [IL]-1 β, and IL-10) in hippocampus were evaluated using commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits.

RESULTS

HEZA exhibited anti-amnesic activity as indicated by a significant reduction in the working memory error and reference memory error in RAM. Pretreatment with HEZA significantly down-regulated the expression of , Bax, and Caspase-3 with simultaneous up-regulation of , BDNF, and TrkB genes in the hippocampal tissues similar to tacrine when compared with scopolamine-treated rats. Pretreatment with HEZA attenuated scopolamine-induced elevation of TNF-α, IL-1 β, levels in hippocampus and reversed diminished IL-10 concentrations towards normal levels in the brain.

CONCLUSION

seeds could probably counteract amnesia. Since its use is mainly reported as a stimulant and tonic, this novel activity could be a boon for the scientists to explore more in this direction.