Turmeric has been in use since ancient times as a condiment and due to its medicinal properties. Curcumin, the yellow colouring principle in turmeric, is polyphenolic and major active constituent. Besides anti-inflammatory, thrombolytic and anticarcinogenic activities, curcumin also possesses strong antioxidant property. In view of the novel combination of properties, neuroprotective efficacy of curcumin was studied in rat middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model. Rats were subjected to 2 h of focal ischemia followed by 72 h of reperfusion. They were pre-treated with curcumin (100 mg/kg, po) for 5 days prior to MCAO and for another 3 days after MCAO. The parameters studied were behavioural, biochemical and histological. Treatment with curcumin could significantly improve neurobehavioral performance compared to untreated ischemic rats as judged by its effect on rota-rod performance and grid walking. A significant inhibition in lipid peroxidation and an increase in superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in corpus striatum and cerebral cortex was observed following treatment with curcumin in MCAO rats as compared to MCAO group. Intracellular calcium levels were decreased following treatment with curcumin in MCAO rats. Histologically, a reduction in the infarct area from 33% to 24% was observed in MCAO rats treated with curcumin. The study demonstrates the protective efficacy of curcumin in rat MCAO model.

The neuroprotective potential of ethanol:water (1:1) extract of rhizomes of Acorus calamus (AC–002) has been investigated in middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO)–induced ischaemia in rats. A significant behavioural impairment in Rota–Rod performance and grid walking was observed in rats, 72 hours after MCAO as compared to sham–operated animals. These rats also exhibited an increase in lipid peroxidation (cortex / 157%, corpus striatum – 58%) and a decrease in glutathione levels (cortex – 59%, corpus striatum – 34%) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity (cortex – 64%, corpus striatum – 32%) as compared to sham–operated animals. Ischaemic rats treated with AC–002 (25 mg/kg, p.o.) exhibited a significant improvement in neurobehavioural performance viz. Rota–Rod performance and grid walking as compared to the MCAO group. Interestingly, treatment with AC–002 in MCAO rats significantly decreased malonaldialdehyde levels in cortex as compared to ischaemic rats. A significant increase in reduced glutathione levels and SOD activity was also observed both in cortex and corpus striatum in MCAO rats treated with AC–002 in comparison to MCAO rats. Treatment with AC–002 in MCAO rats also reduced the contralateral cortical infarct area (19%) as compared to MCAO rats (33%). Neurological function score was improved in the AC–002–treated rats as compared to the MCAO group. The results of the present study indicate the neuroprotective efficacy of A. calamus in the rat model of ischaemia.

Exposure of rats to acrylamide (ACR) caused hind limb paralysis in 58% of the animals on day 10 and decreased behavioural parameters, namely distance travelled, ambulatory time, stereotypic time and basal stereotypic movements compared with the control group. These rats also had a decrease in the reduced glutathione (GSH) content and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity in the corpus striatum and an increase in striatal dopamine receptors, as evident by an increase in the binding of 3H-spiperone to striatal membranes. Treatment with the ethanol:water (1:1) extract of the rhizomes of Acorus calamus (AC-002) increased the GSH content and GST activity in the corpus striatum while insignificant changes were observed in other parameters. Rats treated with ACR and AC-002 in combination had a lower incidence of paralysis (18%) compared with those treated with ACR alone on day 10 of the experiment. The rats also showed a partial recovery in other behavioural parameters. The levels of GSH content and GST activity increased in the corpus striatum, while the dopamine receptors decreased compared with the ACR treated rats. The results suggest that the neurobehavioural changes produced by ACR may be prevented following treatment with Acorus calamus rhizomes.

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