Effects of hydroalcoholic extract of Borago officinalis on naloxone-precipitated withdrawal syndrome in morphine-dependent mice

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Borago officinalis on morphine withdrawal syndrome in mice. Morphine-dependent group received morphine for nine days and then received naloxone via intraperitoneal injection. Control group received saline for nine days. Post-treated group received B. officinalis extract intraperitoneally (100 mg/kg) on the day 10 before naloxone injection. Co-treated group received B. officinalis extract intraperitoneally (100 mg/kg) and morphine for nine days and then received naloxone. Extract-treated group received extract for nine days and then received naloxone. Naloxone injection significantly increased the frequency of jumping, blinking, ptosis, defecation, paw trembling, and two-legged standing in comparison to the control group. Co-treatment and post-treatment with B. officinalis extract significantly decreased the withdrawal symptoms. In conclusion, hydroalcoholic extract of B. officinalis significantly attenuated the symptoms of morphine withdrawal syndrome

Effect of ethanol Adiantum capillus-veneris extract in experimental models of anxiety and depression

Depression is one of the most common psychiatric disorders with a prevalence of 15%-25%. Monoamine aminotransferases, in particular, norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine, change in the brain of depressed people. Adiantum capillus-veneris is one of the species of the maidenhair fern genus that have traditionally been used to treat cough, cold symptoms, and local hair loss.In this experimental study, white male rats weighing 250-300 g were assigned to 5 groups of 10 each; group 1: Receiving normal saline; groups 2-4: Receiving A.capillus-veneris extract at 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, respectively; and group 5: Receiving fluoxetine at 10 mg/kg. Chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) was induced by 3-week exposure to chronic stress. The forced swim test and plus maze were used to assess depression and anxiety, respectively. Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and antioxidant capacity in the serum and brain were measured. Treatment with A.capillus-veneris extract at 200 mg/kg significantly reduced the duration of immobility. In the group given extract at 200 mg/kg, a significant increase in the number of open arm entries was observed when compared to the control group. A.capillus-veneris extract at 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg resulted in a significant increase in the time spent in the open arm. A.capillus-veneris extract reduced MDA levels and increased antioxidant levels of serum and brain in rat. A.capillus-veneris has significant antidepressant and anti-anxiety effects in rat, probably due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities

Medicinal herbs effective in the treatment of the Alzheimer’s disease

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Alzheimer’s is a progressive brain disorder which will gradually damage the memory, reduce learning and reasoning ability, impair judgement and communication and interfere with daily activities. As Alzheimer’s advances, patients may experience changes in their behaviour and personality. Such examples are anxiety, feelings of suspicion, consternation and delusional visions. Currently, there is no available treatment for this illness. Nevertheless, new approaches have extended horizons about the biology of this illness. Alzheimer’s is the most prevalent type of brain deterioration affecting over 20 million people across the world. In this article, we investigated the findings of previous control studies in order to determine whether medicinal herbs could be effective in treating cognitive disorders caused by this illness in the elderly. Furthermore, a few common medicinal herbs for treating Alzheimer’s have been looked into in this article. METHODS: In this study, we conducted investigations into the studies done on Alzheimer’s using databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, SID, Pumbed Central, Pumbed and a number of key words like Alzheimer’s, medicinal herbs, Acetylcholine and antioxidants. FINDINGS: The first neurotransmitter deficiency discovered in Alzheimer’s was Acetylcholine which is a cholinergic neurotransmitter necessary for the short-term memory. Cholinergic deficiency due to Alzheimer’s is mainly responsible for the problems of short-term memory. CONCLUSION: Undoubtedly, cholinesterase inhibitors and NMDA receptor antagonists are efficacious in treating Alzheimer’s. However, these treatments are unlikely to impede the illness and they tend to lose their effectiveness in the long run. The products of medicinal herbs are mostly used in treating the psychological and behavioural symptoms of Alzheimer’s

Effects of gallic acid and physical exercise on passive avoidance memory in male rat

Learning and memory play main roles in daily life of human, and memory represents the basis of all trainings and learning. The aim of the current study is to investigate the effects of gallic acid and physical exercise on the levels of passive avoidance memory in rat. In this experimental study, 46 rats weighing 200-300 g were randomLy divided to six groups of eight each: including control group, groups treated with 10 and 20 mg/kg gallic acid, group undergoing physical exercise alone, and groups both undergoing physical exercise and treated with 10 and 20 mg/kg gallic acid. The interventions continued for 10 days. After the intervention, passive avoidance memory was measured by shuttle box, blood samples were taken, and serum and brain antioxidant capacity and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured. Secondary latency in shuttle box significantly increased in groups undergoing treadmill exercise and undergoing treadmill exercise + treating 10 and 20 mg/kg gallic acid. In groups treated with 10 and 20 mg/kg gallic acid alone, secondary latency increased significantly. Results confirmed the effects of gallic acid and physical exercise, either alone or combined, in improving memory

Entinociceptive effects of Euphorbia helioscopia extract on Balb/c mice

Background and aims: Euphorbia helioscopia has multiple pharmacological activities, such as antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal,anticancer and/or antitumor, allelopathic, anti-allergic and anti-asthmatic, antioxidant, antinociceptive effect. The aim of the study was to evaluate the antinociceptive activities of Euphorbia helioscopia extract in Balb/c mice, as well as the total flavonoids, phenolic contents, and antioxidant activities of the extract. Methods: In this study, 90 Balb/c mice were randomly designated into 9 groups. Group 1 received normal saline, groups 2 to 7 received different doses of the E. helioscopia hydroethanolic extract (i.e., 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 2, & 8 mg/kg, i.p.).In addition, groups 8 and 9 received naloxone (1 mg/kg) and extract (8 mg/kg) plus naloxone (1 mg/kg), respectively (Naloxone was injected 15 minutes after extract administration). Then, pain response was evaluated for 30 minutes after the injection of 20 µL formalin (1.5%) in the plantar surface of the mice foot. Further, the beta-carotene-linoleate method was used for measuring antioxidant capacity. Finally, total phenolic and flavonoid content were measured based on Folin-Ciocalteu colorimetric and aluminum chloride colorimetric methods, respectively. Results: Total phenol and flavonoid content were 49.43 ± 1.8 mg GAE/g dried extract and 30.19 ± 1.96 mg rutin/g dried extract, respectively. Our results showed that during the first 5 minutes (the acute pain step), a significant difference (P<0.05) was observed between the control group and the group which received the E. helioscopia hydroethanolic extract (8 mg/kg). In the next 25 minutes (the chronic pain step), a significant difference (P<0.05) was found between the control group and the group which received 0.1 and 8 mg/kg doses of the extract. Based on the results, naloxone was unable to reverse the antinociceptive effects of the extract and the maximum antioxidant activity of the extract was 1.641 mg/g of rutin equivalent. Conclusion: In general, this study supports the use of the E. helioscopia extract in folk medicine as the analgesic agent and calls for further investigations regarding elucidating its mechanism of action. Eventually, our findings revealed that the extract of E. helioscopia possessed either antinociceptive or anti-oxidative activities. Keywords: Euphorbia helioscopia, Pain, Mice, Formalin test, Antioxidant activit

The effect of dietary virgin olive oil on brain lipid levels and brain edema in rat stroke models

Background and Objective: Stroke is the third most common cause of death in industrialized countries after cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Despite numerous defenses, the brain is vulnerable to oxidative stress resulting from ischemia and reperfusion. Due to the relationship between olive oil consumption and low cardiovascular mortality and morbidity, this study was accomplished to investigate the relationship between dietary virgin olive oil (VOO) on brain lipids and formation of brain edema in rat stroke models. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study 60 Wistar rats were divided into five groups. First and second groups (control and sham) received distilled water, while all three treatment groups received oral VOO for 30 days (0.25, 0.5 and 0.75 ml/kg/day respectively). Two hours after the last dose, each main group was subdivided into two additional groups of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) for the assessment of neuropathology (brain edema) and intact group for brain lipid analysis. Data were analyzed using one way Anova LSD tests and Pearson correlation. Results: Pretreatment by VOO increased the brain cholesterol ester and cholesterol levels in doses of 0.5 and 0.75 ml/kg/day. VOO in all three doses increased the brain triglyceride levels (p<0.05). Oral administration of VOO in doses of 0.5 and 0.75 reduced brain edema in mice. Conclusion: Results suggest that VOO may be taken as a valuable alternative for the pretreatment of ischemia via inducing some changes in lipid profile and decreasing brain edema

Exploring the multifaceted neuroprotective actions of gallic acid: a review

Much attention has been recently given to the effect of diet compounds on physical and mental health. Gallic acid is a phenolic compound with antioxidant activity. This compound is widely presented in black tea leaves, green tea, apples, grapes, strawberries, and pineapples. During the past years, it has been reported that gallic acid is effective against nervous system's disorders including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, ischemia, and reperfusion, depression and anxiety. These indicate that gallic acid can be considered as a valuable agent for nutraceutical interventions. In this study, several clinical studies suggested that gallic acid can improve human health by preventing or delaying the onset of neurological diseases. The present study indicated the neuroprotective features of gallic acid including the pre-clinical evidence for its effects in AD and PD and other diseases related to the nervous system. Significant efforts are required to confirm the neuroprotective effects of gallic acid in treating the diseases related to the nervous system. Keywords:Gallic acid; neurodegenerative diseases; Parkinson; psychiatric disorder

A review study on medicinal plants affecting amnesia through cholinergic system

Neurotransmitter modification is an important method for the treatment of memory loss or amnesia. Cholinomimetic drugs, particularly, acetylcholine esterase inhibitors are the mainstream in pharmacotherapy of amnesia. Donepezil, tacrine, galantamine, and rivastigmine are cholinesterase inhibitors which are widely used in the treatment of amnesia, however, their therapeutic effects are not significant. Therefore, other possibilities including herbal medicine sources have been considered for memory loss therapy. There are some Medicinal plants with cholinomimetic property which mostly possess antioxidant activity, too. These plants may not only ameliorate amnesia but also can be a good source for drug discovery. In this paper other than introducing the medicinal plants and their components affective on cholinergic system and effective on memory loss, their probable advantages over synthetic drugs are discussed

Effect of ethanol Adiantum capillus-veneris extract in experimental models of anxiety and depression

Depression is one of the most common psychiatric disorders with a prevalence of 15%-25%. Monoamine aminotransferases, in particular, norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine, change in the brain of depressed people. Adiantum capillus-veneris is one of the species of the maidenhair fern genus that have traditionally been used to treat cough, cold symptoms, and local hair loss.In this experimental study, white male rats weighing 250-300 g were assigned to 5 groups of 10 each; group 1: Receiving normal saline; groups 2-4: Receiving A.capillus-veneris extract at 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, respectively; and group 5: Receiving fluoxetine at 10 mg/kg. Chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) was induced by 3-week exposure to chronic stress. The forced swim test and plus maze were used to assess depression and anxiety, respectively. Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and antioxidant capacity in the serum and brain were measured. Treatment with A.capillus-veneris extract at 200 mg/kg significantly reduced the duration of immobility. In the group given extract at 200 mg/kg, a significant increase in the number of open arm entries was observed when compared to the control group. A.capillus-veneris extract at 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg resulted in a significant increase in the time spent in the open arm. A.capillus-veneris extract reduced MDA levels and increased antioxidant levels of serum and brain in rat. A.capillus-veneris has significant antidepressant and anti-anxiety effects in rat, probably due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Keywords: Adiantum capillus-veneris /extract/effects; Forced swim test.Anti-anxiety

Effect of hydroalcoholic Echium amoenum extract on scopolamine-induced learning and memory impairment in rats

Context: Scopolamine, a muscarinic receptor antagonist, causes memory loss that resembles Alzheimer's disease (AD). Echium amoenum L. (Boraginaceae) is a famous medicinal plant of Iran that is traditionally used as a sedative and mood enhancer. Objective: This study evaluates the effect of hydroalcoholic extract of E. amoenum flowers on scopolamine-induced memory impairment in rats. Materials and methods: Fifty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups. Control group received normal saline, model group received scopolamine (0.7 mg/kg, IP, daily for 21 days), and test groups received E. amoenum extract (50, 75, and 100 mg/kg, IP, daily for 21 days) 30 min before each scopolamine injection. The elevated plus maze (EPM), shuttle box, novel object and rotarod tests were performed after treatment. Brain levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and total antioxidant capacity (TCA) were also determined. Results: Scopolamine-treated rats spent more time exploring the novel object compared to the control, and E. amoenum extract at all three doses significantly decreased the time spent exploring the novel object (p < 0.05). E. amoenum extract (75 and 100 mg/kg) significantly elongated the secondary latency in rats receiving scopolamine in the shuttle box test (p < 0.05). In addition, treatment with 75 and 100 mg/ kg doses of E. amoenum extract significantly ameliorated scopolamine-induced motor in coordination in rotarod test (p < 0.05). It also significantly increased the time spent in the open arms and reduced the time spent in the closed arms of EPM (p < 0.05). Treatment of scopolamine-exposed rats with E. amoenum extract significantly increased TCA and reduced MDA level of brain (p < 0.05). Discussion and conclusions: E. amoenum extract shows protective effect against scopolamine-induced impairment and is suggested to be tested in clinical trials to evaluate the efficacy on AD