Dandekar Manoj P, Guin Sandeep, Sammeta Shivkumar, Saha Chandrima, Bhalerao Harshada Anil, Sonti Rajesh
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Hyderabad, India.
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Hyderabad, India.
J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2025 Jun 2;16(3):101131. doi: 10.1016/j.jaim.2025.101131.
Age-related cognitive decline is a common biological phenomenon that appears to be driven by accelerated oxidative stress pathways. As natural polyherbal phytoconstituents positively modulate such pathological changes, herbal formulations are gaining notable attention in the mitigation of age-associated cognitive impairments.
To study the effect of polyherbal extracts on cognitive functions in 52-54 weeks old rats compared to young adult rats.
The anxiety as well as learning and memory functions were assessed employing elevated plus maze, Morris water maze (MWM), and novel object recognition test (NORT). The levels of antioxidant enzymes, acetylcholinesterase (AChE), neurotransmitters, cytokines, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were estimated in blood and/or brain samples using biochemical assays, LC-MS/MS, ELISA, and immunofluorescence methods.
The peroral administration of polyherbal plant extracts for 12 weeks showed trends toward improvement of learning and memory functions in the MWM and/or NORT in 52-54 weeks old rats. The locomotor activity and anxiety-like behavior remained similar in young vs. aged rats. We noted lowered levels of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, reduced glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, and homocysteine) and AChE in the frontal cortex of brain and/or blood samples of 52-54 weeks old rats. We also observed the negative impact of aging on the levels of neurotransmitters (dopamine, noradrenaline, and 5-HT), cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, and CRP), BDNF, and NeuN expression in the hippocampus/frontal cortex in 52-54 weeks old rats vs. young rats. The altered levels of these antioxidant enzymes, AChE, neurotransmitters, cytokines, and other biogenic substances were reversed in polyherbal-recipient rats.
Our results indicate that the memory-improving activity of polyherbal formulation may be attributed to antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties. Thus, we suggest the utility of this Indian polyherbal formulation in delaying the onset or reducing age-associated cognitive impairments.
与年龄相关的认知衰退是一种常见的生物学现象，似乎由加速的氧化应激途径驱动。由于天然多草药植物成分能积极调节此类病理变化，草药配方在减轻与年龄相关的认知障碍方面正受到显著关注。
研究与年轻成年大鼠相比，多草药提取物对52 - 54周龄大鼠认知功能的影响。
采用高架十字迷宫、莫里斯水迷宫（MWM）和新物体识别测试（NORT）评估焦虑以及学习和记忆功能。使用生化分析、液相色谱 - 串联质谱（LC - MS/MS）、酶联免疫吸附测定（ELISA）和免疫荧光方法，估计血液和/或脑样本中抗氧化酶、乙酰胆碱酯酶（AChE）、神经递质、细胞因子和脑源性神经营养因子（BDNF）的水平。
对52 - 54周龄大鼠口服多草药植物提取物12周后，在MWM和/或NORT中显示出学习和记忆功能改善的趋势。年轻大鼠与老年大鼠的运动活动和焦虑样行为保持相似。我们注意到52 - 54周龄大鼠脑额叶皮质和/或血液样本中的抗氧化酶（超氧化物歧化酶、过氧化氢酶、还原型谷胱甘肽、谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶和同型半胱氨酸）和AChE水平降低。我们还观察到衰老对52 - 54周龄大鼠与年轻大鼠相比海马体/额叶皮质中神经递质（多巴胺、去甲肾上腺素和5 - HT）、细胞因子（TNF -α、IL - 6和CRP）、BDNF和NeuN表达水平的负面影响。在接受多草药治疗的大鼠中，这些抗氧化酶、AChE、神经递质、细胞因子和其他生物活性物质的改变水平得到了逆转。
我们的结果表明，多草药配方的记忆改善活性可能归因于抗氧化、抗炎和神经保护特性。因此，我们建议这种印度多草药配方在延迟发病或减少与年龄相关的认知障碍方面具有实用性。
