Anthriscus nemorosa essential oil inhalation prevents memory impairment, anxiety and depression in scopolamine-treated rats

Anthriscus nemorosa (Bieb.) Sprengel is used for medicinal purposes in traditional medicine around the world, including Turkey. Ethnobotanical studies suggest that Anthriscus essential oil could improve memory in Alzheimer’s disease. The current study was hypothesized to investigate the beneficial effects of inhaled Anthriscus nemorosa essential oil on memory, anxiety and depression in scopolamine-treated rats. Anthriscus nemorosa essential oil was administered by inhalation in the doses of 1% and 3% for 21 continuous days and scopolamine (0.7 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally 30 min before the behavioral testing. Y-maze and radial arm-maze tests were used for assessing memory processes. Also, the anxiety and depressive responses were studied by elevated plus-maze and forced swimming tests. As expected, the scopolamine alone-treated rats exhibited the following: decrease the percentage of the spontaneous alternation in Y-maze test, increase the number of working and reference memory errors in radial arm-maze test, decrease of the exploratory activity, the percentage of the time spent and the number of entries in the open arm within elevated plus-maze test and decrease of swimming time and increase of immobility time within forced swimming test. However, dual scopolamine and Anthriscus nemorosa essential oil-treated rats showed significant improvement of memory formation and exhibited anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects in scopolamine-treated rats. These results suggest that Anthriscus nemorosa essential oil inhalation can prevent scopolamineinduced memory impairment, anxiety and depression.Emel Aydin Akbaba was supported by LLP Erasmus (2013/2014), Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Iasi, Romani

Antiamnesic and antioxidants effects of ferulago angulata essential oil against scopolamine-Induced memory impairment in laboratory rats

Ethical standard This study was approved by the Committee on the Ethics of Animal Experiments of the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi (Permit Number: 2192) and also, efforts were made to minimize animal suffering and to reduce the number of animals used.Ferulago angulata (Apiaceae) is a shrub indigenous to western Iran, Turkey and Iraq. In traditional medicine, F. angulata is recommended for treating digestive pains, hemorrhoids, snake bite, ulcers and as sedative. In the present study, the effects of inhaled F. angulata essential oil (1 and 3 %, daily, for 21 days) on spatial memory performance were assessed in scopolamine-treated rats. Scopolamine-induced memory impairments were observed, as measured by the Y-maze and radial arm-maze tasks. Decreased activities of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase along with increase of acetylcholinesterase activity and decrease of total content of reduced glutathione were observed in the rat hippocampal homogenates of scopolamine-treated animals as compared with control. Production of protein carbonyl and malondialdehyde significantly increased in the rat hippocampal homogenates of scopolamine-treated animals as compared with control, as a consequence of impaired antioxidant enzymes activities. Additionally, in scopolamine- treated rats exposure to F. angulata essential oil significantly improved memory formation and decreased oxidative stress, suggesting memory-enhancing and antioxidant effects. Therefore, our results suggest that multiple exposures to F. angulata essential oil ameliorate scopolamine-induced spatial memory impairment by attenuation of the oxidative stress in the rat hippocampusEmel (Aydin) Akbaba was supported by LLP Erasmus (2013/2014) during her stage within Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Romania

The effects of inhaled pimpinella peregrina essential oil on scopolamine-Induced memory impairment, anxiety, and depression in laboratory rats

Compliance with Ethical Standards Rats were treated in accordance with the guidelines of the animal bioethics of the Act on Animal Experimentation and Animal Health and Welfare from Romania and all procedures were in compliance with Directive 2010/63/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 September 2010 on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes. This study was approved by the Committee on the Ethics of Animal Experiments of the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi (Permit Number: 2192) and also, efforts were made to minimize animal suffering and to reduce the number of animals used.In the present study, we identified the effects of inhaled Pimpinella peregrina essential oil (1 and 3 %, for 21 continuous days) on scopolamine-induced memory impairment, anxiety, and depression in laboratory rats. Y-maze and radial arm-maze tests were used for assessing memory processes. Also, the anxiety and depressive responses were studied by means of the elevated plus-maze and forced swimming tests. The scopolamine alone-treated rats exhibited the following: decrease of the spontaneous alternation percentage in Y-maze test, increase of the number of working and reference memory errors in radial arm-maze test, along with decrease of the exploratory activity, the percentage of the time spent and the number of entries in the open arm within elevated plus-maze test and decrease of swimming time and increase of immobility time within forced swimming test. Inhalation of the P. peregrina essential oil significantly improved memory formation and exhibited anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects in scopolamine-treated rats. Our results suggest that the P. peregrina essential oil inhalation ameliorates scopolamine-induced memory impairment, anxiety, and depression. Moreover, studies on the P. peregrina essential oil may open a new therapeutic window for the prevention of neurological abnormalities closely related to Alzheimer’s disease.Emel Aydin was supported by LLP Erasmus (2013/2014), Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Iasi, Romani

Anxiolytic and antidepressant-like effects of Ferulago angulata essential oil in the scopolamine rat model of Alzheimer’s disease

Ferulago angulata subsp. carduchorum (Apiaceae) is a shrub indigenous to western Iran, Turkey and Iraq. In traditional medicine, F. angulata is recommended for treating digestive pains, haemorrhoids, snake bites, ulcers and as a sedative. The present study analysed the possible anxiolytic, antidepressant and antioxidant properties of F. angulata essential oil in a scopolamine-induced rat model of Alzheimer’s disease. The anxiolytic and antidepressant-like effects of F. angulata essential oil were studied using in vivo (elevated plus-maze and forced swimming tests) approaches. Also, the antioxidant activity in the amygdala was assessed using superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase specific activities, the total content of the reduced glutathione, protein carbonyl and malondialdehyde levels. The scopolamine-treated rats exhibited the following: a decrease in the percentage of the time spent and the number of entries in the open armwithin the elevated plus-maze test and a decrease of swimming time and an increase of immobility time in the forced swimming test. Inhalation of F. angulata essential oil significantly exhibited anxiolytic and antidepressant-like effects and also antioxidant potential. Furthermore, in silico studies carried out by employing molecular docking experiments pointed to the existence of strong interactions of monoterpenes from F. angulata essential oil with anxiolytic and antidepressant effects with GABAA receptor. Our results suggest that the F. angulata essential oil inhalation ameliorates scopolamine-induced anxiety and depression by attenuation of the oxidative stress in the rat amygdala. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.TÜBİTAK program 2221-Fellowships for Visiting Scientists and Scientists on Sabbatical Leave (2014/2015) supported Prof. dr. Lucian Hritcu during the collaboration stay in Firat University, Elazig, Turkey

Behavioral effects of Hypericum uniglandulosum essential oil inhalation on rat model of Alzheimer’s disease

Hypericum (Hypericaceae) species have been attracting interest due to their sedative and relaxing actions. In the current study, rats exposed to Hypericum uniglandulosum essential oil (HYP) at the concentrations of 1.0%; and 3.0%, by inhalation during 15 minutes for 21 continuous days in plexyglass boxes were evaluated on scopolamine model of Alzheimer’s disease. Memory-enhancing effects of HYP were tested by well-characterized tasks namely Y-maze test and radial-arm maze test. Furthermore, anxiolytic, and antidepressant effects of the inhaled essential oil were evaluated by elevated plus maze and forced-swimming tests, respectively. As expected, scopolamine administration decreased the spontaneous alternation percentage in Y-maze test, and working memory errors and reference memory errors in radial-arm maze test. HYP 1% and HYP 3% administration in scopolamine-induced rats caused statistically significant increases on the spontaneous alternation percentage in Y-maze task. Number of arm entries do not show any significant differences between scopolamine-alone treated and Sco+ HYP1% and Sco+HYP3% treated rats; thus, essential oil treatment does not change the motor activity in rats. In order to evaluate spatial memory performances further, radial-arm maze test was used. Scopolamine treatment showed an increase on the working memory errors, a type of short-term memory, and reference memory errors, a type of long- term memory, in this test. However, HYP inhalation significantly decreased these values. These results show the spatial memory-enhancing activities of the inhaled HYP in scopolamine-treated rats. In addition, anxiolytic and antidepressant-like effects of inhaled HYP were assessed. Diazepam, an anxiolytic drug, significantly increased the time spent in the open arms, number of open arm entries and number of crossings in the elevated plus maze task as compared to control rats. However, scopolamine-alone treated rats showed decreases in these parameters. HYP 1% and HYP3% inhalation increased these values in scopolamine –induced rats, therefore, acted as an anxiolytic drug. Forcedswimming test was used to evaluate antidepressant-like behavior of rats. As expected, tramadol, known antidepressant agent, increased the swimming time, and decreased the immobility time as compared to control group. Scopolamine-alone treated rats exhibited significant decrease in the swimming time, while increasing the immobility time. Both doses of HYP, but especially HYP1% significantly decreased the immobility time and increased the swimming time as compared to scopolamine-alone treated rats. In conclusion, Hypericum uniglandulosum essential oil inhalation was showed to induce memory-enhancing, anxiolytic and antidepressant-like effects on scopolamineinduced rats. These results suggest that Hypericum uniglandulosum essential oil could be used as an alternative or complementary therapy against neurological diseases related to Alzheimer’s Disease

Memory-enhancing, anxiolytic and antidepressant effects of inhaled Achillea pseudoaleppica essential oil on scopolamine-induced amnesic rats

Achillea pseudoaleppica (Asteraceae) is an endemic plant species of Turkey. Several species of the genus has been used in folk medicine in the treatment of wounds, bleedings, headache, inflammation, pains, spasmodic diseases, flatulence and dyspepsia. In the present study, memory-enhancing, anxiolytic and antidepressant- like activities of A. pseudoaleppica essential oil on scopolamine-induced amnesic rats are assessed. In order to evaluate memory- enhancing activities of A. pseudoaleppica essential oil (1% and 3%, for 21 continuous days) Y-maze and radial arm maze tasks were used. As expected, scopolamine administration decreased spontaneous alternation percentage in Y-maze test and increased the number of working memory errors and the number of reference memory errors in radial arm-maze test. A. pseudoaleppica essential oil used in this study displayed an improved effect on acquisition of the short-term memory of scopolamine-treated rats within the Y-maze task as evidenced by increased spontaneous alternation percentage. A. pseudoaleppica essential oil administered rats also showed significant improvement of reference memory formation, but not working memory formation in radial arm maze test. Furthermore, A. pseudoaleppica essential oil induced anxiolytic effect on elevated plus maze test as evidenced by increased percentage of open arm time, open arm entries and the number of crossings as compared to scopolamine-alone treated rats. A. pseudoaleppica essential oil also exhibited antidepressant-like effects as evidenced by decreased immobility time on forced-swimming test. These results suggest the neuroprotective potential of Achillea pseudoaleppica essential oil on scopolamine-induced amnesia in rats and could act as a promising therapeutic agent for the neurological abnormalities related to Alzheimer's disease

Behavioral effects of Hypericum uniglandulosum essential oil inhalation on rat model of Alzheimer’s disease

Hypericum (Hypericaceae) species have been attracting interest due to their sedative and relaxing actions. In the current study, rats exposed to Hypericum uniglandulosum essential oil (HYP) at the concentrations of 1.0%; and 3.0%, by inhalation during 15 minutes for 21 continuous days in plexyglass boxes were evaluated on scopolamine model of Alzheimer’s disease. Memory-enhancing effects of HYP were tested by well-characterized tasks namely Y-maze test and radial-arm maze test. Furthermore, anxiolytic, and antidepressant effects of the inhaled essential oil were evaluated by elevated plus maze and forced-swimming tests, respectively. As expected, scopolamine administration decreased the spontaneous alternation percentage in Y-maze test, and working memory errors and reference memory errors in radial-arm maze test. HYP 1% and HYP 3% administration in scopolamine-induced rats caused statistically significant increases on the spontaneous alternation percentage in Y-maze task. Number of arm entries do not show any significant differences between scopolamine-alone treated and Sco+ HYP1% and Sco+HYP3% treated rats; thus, essential oil treatment does not change the motor activity in rats. In order to evaluate spatial memory performances further, radial-arm maze test was used. Scopolamine treatment showed an increase on the working memory errors, a type of short-term memory, and reference memory errors, a type of long- term memory, in this test. However, HYP inhalation significantly decreased these values. These results show the spatial memory-enhancing activities of the inhaled HYP in scopolamine-treated rats. In addition, anxiolytic and antidepressant-like effects of inhaled HYP were assessed. Diazepam, an anxiolytic drug, significantly increased the time spent in the open arms, number of open arm entries and number of crossings in the elevated plus maze task as compared to control rats. However, scopolamine-alone treated rats showed decreases in these parameters. HYP 1% and HYP3% inhalation increased these values in scopolamine –induced rats, therefore, acted as an anxiolytic drug. Forcedswimming test was used to evaluate antidepressant-like behavior of rats. As expected, tramadol, known antidepressant agent, increased the swimming time, and decreased the immobility time as compared to control group. Scopolamine-alone treated rats exhibited significant decrease in the swimming time, while increasing the immobility time. Both doses of HYP, but especially HYP1% significantly decreased the immobility time and increased the swimming time as compared to scopolamine-alone treated rats. In conclusion, Hypericum uniglandulosum essential oil inhalation was showed to induce memory-enhancing, anxiolytic and antidepressant-like effects on scopolamineinduced rats. These results suggest that Hypericum uniglandulosum essential oil could be used as an alternative or complementary therapy against neurological diseases related to Alzheimer’s Disease

Composition of essential oil two medicinal plants (Eucalyptus camaldulensis dehnh. and vibirnum opulus l.)

Eucalyptus is one of the world’s important and most widely planted species belongs to the family Myrtaceae. Several species of Eucalyptus are used in folk medicine as an antiseptic and against infections of the upper respiratory tract, such as cold, influenza and sinus congestion. The essential oil of Eucalyptus species showed a wide spectrum of antimicrobial, antifungal, anticandidal, antibacterial, expectorant and cough stimulant activity. In this study, the chemical composition of the essential oil from the leaves and fruits of Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh. and aerial parts of Vibirnum opulus L. grown in Mersin (Turkey) were analyzed by using GC and GC/MS techniques. The yields of essential oils were 1.2% in leaf and 1.0% (v/w) in fruit of E. camaldulensis and identified representing 93.8% and 99.0% of the total oils, respectively. The major constituents of leaves were p-cymene (42.1%), eucalyptol (1,8-cineole, - -terpinol (10.7%), and in fruit were eucalyptol (1,8 cineole) (34.5%), p- -terpinol (15.1%). Our results showed that both oils has rich in terms of monoterpene hydrocarbons and oxygenated monoterpenes. Viburnum opulus is from Adoxaceae family and it is reported that has anticancer, antiaging and antioxidant activity. This species used for renal stone reduction. The yields of essential oil of V. opulus was 0.5% - - pinene (27.2%) and butanoic acid (15.8%) were the main compounds identified in the oil of Vibirnum opulus