Moriasi Gervason Apiri, Ireri Anthony Muriithi, Ngugi Mathew Piero
Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Biotechnology, Kenyatta University, P.O BOX 43844-00100 Nairobi, Kenya.
Department of Educational Psychology, Kenyatta University, P.O BOX 43844-00100 Nairobi, Kenya.
Int J Alzheimers Dis. 2020 Mar 24;2020:1367075. doi: 10.1155/2020/1367075. eCollection 2020.
Cognitive impairment (CI) is among the leading causes of disability in humans. It is estimated that over 35.6 million people are suffering from Alzheimer's disease- (AD-) associated cognitive deficits globally with these statistics projected to rise over 115.4 million by the year 2050. There is no specific etiology for this cognitive impairment; however, various contributing factors including advancing age (>60 years old), oxidative stress, cerebral injuries, infections, neurologic disorders, and cancer have been implicated. Despite various attempts to manage CI, no curative medicines are yet available. The current drugs used to manage symptoms of AD-associated CI including Donepezil and Rivastigmine among others are only palliative rather than therapeutic. Furthermore, these agents have been associated with undesirable side effects. This calls for alternative and complementary approaches aimed at either preventing or reverting AD-related CI in a curative way without causing adverse events. It is estimated that over 80% of the world's population utilize herbal medicines for basic healthcare as it is considered safe, affordable, and easily accessible as opposed to conventional healthcare. Various parts of are used in traditional medicine to manage various conditions including CI. However, empirical and scientific data to validate these uses is lacking. In this study, the Morris water maze (MWM) experiment was adopted to evaluate the cognitive-enhancing effects of the studied plant extracts. The malondialdehyde (MDA) profiles in the brains of experimental mice were determined using the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) test. Moreover, qualitative phytochemical profiling of the studied plant extracts was performed using standard procedures. The results showed remarkable cognitive-enhancing activities which were reflected in significantly shorter transfer latencies, navigation distances, longer time spent in platform quadrant, and lower MDA levels compared with those recorded for the negative control mice ( < 0.05). Phytochemical screening of the studied plant extracts revealed the presence of antioxidant phytocompounds, which may have played key roles in the extracts' potency. Based on the findings herein, extracts, especially the aqueous ones have a promising potential for the management of AD-associated CI. Further studies aimed at isolating and characterizing specific active compounds for CI from are recommended. Additionally, specific mode(s) of action of active principles should be elucidated. Moreover, toxicity studies should be done on the studied plant extracts to ascertain their safety.
认知障碍（CI）是人类致残的主要原因之一。据估计，全球超过3560万人患有与阿尔茨海默病（AD）相关的认知缺陷，预计到2050年这一数字将增至1.154亿以上。这种认知障碍尚无明确病因；然而，包括年龄增长（>60岁）、氧化应激、脑损伤、感染、神经系统疾病和癌症等多种因素与之相关。尽管人们尝试了多种方法来管理CI，但目前尚无治愈药物。目前用于管理与AD相关的CI症状的药物，如多奈哌齐和卡巴拉汀等，仅具有缓解作用而非治疗作用。此外，这些药物还伴有不良副作用。这就需要采用替代和补充方法，以治愈的方式预防或逆转与AD相关的CI，且不引起不良事件。据估计，世界上超过80%的人口使用草药进行基本医疗保健，因为与传统医疗保健相比，草药被认为安全、实惠且易于获取。该植物的各个部位在传统医学中用于管理包括CI在内的各种病症。然而，缺乏证实这些用途的实证和科学数据。在本研究中，采用莫里斯水迷宫（MWM）实验来评估所研究植物提取物的认知增强作用。使用硫代巴比妥酸反应性物质（TBARS）试验测定实验小鼠大脑中的丙二醛（MDA）水平。此外，使用标准程序对所研究植物提取物进行了定性植物化学分析。结果显示出显著的认知增强活性，与阴性对照小鼠相比，其转移潜伏期显著缩短、导航距离缩短、在平台象限停留时间延长且MDA水平降低（<0.05）。对所研究植物提取物的植物化学筛选显示存在抗氧化植物化合物，这些化合物可能在提取物的效力中起关键作用。基于本文研究结果，可以认为该植物提取物，尤其是水提取物在管理与AD相关的CI方面具有广阔前景。建议开展进一步研究，旨在从该植物中分离和鉴定用于CI的特定活性化合物。此外，应阐明活性成分的具体作用方式。此外，应对所研究的植物提取物进行毒性研究，以确定其安全性。
