Background. Alzheimer's disease is a neurological condition that affects about 44 million people worldwide. The available treatments target symptoms rather than the underlying causes. Ziziphus jujuba (Rhamnaceae) is widely used in traditional Cameroonian medicine to treat diabetes, pain, infections, and dementia. Previous studies reported that Z. jujuba aqueous macerate improves working memory impairment, but no study on the antiamnesic effect of a concoction of Z. jujuba in rats has been performed. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the antiamnesic and neuroprotective effects of an aqueous extract of Z. jujuba on scopolamine-induced cognitive impairments in rats. Methods. Learning and memory impairments were induced in rats by administering scopolamine (1 mg/kg, i.p.) to 58 rats for 15 days. Rats that developed learning and memory impairments in Morris water maze and Y-maze paradigms were divided into 7 groups (8 rats each) and treated daily for 15 days as follows: the normal control group received distilled water (10 ml/kg, p.o.), the negative control group received distilled water (10 ml/kg, p.o.), positive control groups either received donepezil (1.2 mg/kg, p.o.) or tacrine (10 mg/kg, p.o.), and the three test groups were given the extract (29, 57, and 114 mg/kg, p.o.). At the end of treatments, learning and memory impairments were determined using the same paradigms. Animals were then euthanized, and biochemical parameters of oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis were analyzed in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Results. On the 4th day of the acquisition phase in the Morris water maze, Z. jujuba (29 and 114 mg/kg) reduced ( p < 0.001 ) the latency to reach the platform, while in the retention phase, Z. jujuba (57 and 114 mg/kg) decreased ( p < 0.001 ) the time to reach the platform and increased the time in the target quadrant ( p < 0.05 ) compared to control. Surprisingly, the extract failed to affect spontaneous alternations in the Y-maze. Furthermore, the extract (29, 57, and 114 mg/kg) reversed ( p < 0.001 ) scopolamine-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis. This was supported by the reduction of neuronal alterations in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Conclusions. Compared to donepezil, a standard drug against Alzheimer’s disease, these findings suggest that Z. jujuba extract possesses antiamnesic and neuroprotective effects, and these effects are mediated in part through antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic activities. These findings help to explain its use in treating psychiatric disorders in Cameroon’s folk medicine.
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive cognitive dysfunction. However, pharmacological treatments are symptomatic and have many side effects, opening the opportunity to alternative medicine. This study investigated the antiamnesic effect of the aqueous extract of Ziziphus jujuba on D-galactose-induced working memory impairment in rats. Impairment of working memory was induced by subcutaneous (s.c.) injection of D-galactose (350 mg/kg/day) to rats for 21 days. These animals were then subjected to object recognition and Y-maze tests. Rats with confirmed memory impairment were treated per os (p.o.) with tacrine (10 mg/kg), aspirin (20 mg/kg, p.o.), extract (41.5, 83, and 166 mg/kg, p.o.), and distilled water (10 mL/kg, p.o.) daily for 14 days. At the end of the treatments, alteration in working memory was assessed using the above paradigms. Afterward, these animals were euthanized, and cholinergic, proinflammatory, and neuronal damage markers were analyzed in the prefrontal cortex. Rats administered D-galactose and treated with distilled water had impaired working memory (evidenced by decreased time spent on the novel object and discrimination index) and decreased spontaneous alternation in the Y-maze. D-galactose also decreased the levels of acetylcholinesterase and acetylcholine and increased the level of glial fibrillary acidic protein, ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ). Treatment with the extract (166 mg/kg) reversed the time spent on the novel object and the discrimination index. It equally increased the percentage of spontaneous alternation. Neurochemical analysis revealed that the extract markedly alleviated acetylcholinesterase activity and neuroinflammation. These observations were corroborated by the reduction in neuronal loss. Taken together, these results suggest that Ziziphus jujuba aqueous extract possesses an antiamnesic effect. This effect seems to involve cholinergic and anti-inflammatory modulations. This, therefore, claims using this plant in the treatment of dementia in Cameroon subject to further studies and trials.
Background: Alzheimer's disease is a neurological condition that affects more than 44 million people worldwide. The available treatments target the symptoms rather than underlying causes. Ziziphus jujuba (Rhamnaceae) is used in traditional Cameroonian medicine to treat many disorders including memory impairments. The study aimed to evaluate the anti-amnesic and neuroprotective effects of Z. jujuba aqueous extract on scopolamine-induced memory disorders in rats. Methods: Learning and memory impairments were induced in rats by scopolamine (1mg/kg, i.p.) for 15 days. Rats that developed cognitive impairments were divided as follows: two positive control groups received piracetam (200 mg/kg, p.o.) or tacrine (1 mg/kg, p.o.); three test groups received the extract (29, 57, and 114 mg/kg, p.o., respectively) daily for 15 days. At the end of treatments, memory impairments were assessed by Morris water maze and Y-maze tests. Thereafter, animals were sacrificed and some biochemical parameters (oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis) were estimated in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex.Results: Z. jujuba decreased the time to reach the platform and increased the time in the target quadrant. However, it failed to affect spontaneous alternation in the Y-maze. Furthermore, the extract reversed scopolamine-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis. This was confirmed with the prevention of neuronal loss in the hippocampus or prefrontal cortex. Conclusions: These findings suggest that Z. jujuba extract possesses ant-amnesic and neuroprotective effects. It seems that these effects are mediated in part by antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic activities. This, therefore, justify its use to treat dementia and psychiatric disorders in Cameroon’s folk medicine.
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