Butea superba Roxb. Extract Ameliorates Scopolamine-Induced Cognitive and Memory Impairment in Aged Male Rats

Abstract

Butea superba Roxb. (B. superba) is a herb that has been used for rejuvenation, to improve sexual performance, or to prevent erectile dysfunction function. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder that is the main cause of progressive dementia. This study aimed to investigate the amelioration for cognitive and memory dysfunction of B. superba ethanolic extract (BSE), a possible mechanism of action, and its toxicity. The results from the Y-maze test, novel object recognition test, and passive avoidance test exhibited that the administration of BSE at 50 mg/kg (BSL) and 200 mg/kg (BSH) could ameliorate scopolamine-induced cognitive impairment in all behavior testing. Moreover, BSE could prevent the cognitive deficit in a dose-dependent manner in a passive avoidance test. Furthermore, BSE inhibited acetylcholinesterase’s (AChE) ex vivo activity in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. Also, the in vitro and ex vivo antioxidative effects of BSE revealed that BSE had free radical scavenging activities in both DPPH and FRAP assay. Furthermore, male rats treated with BSE at 200 mg/kg/day for two weeks could significantly increase serum testosterone compared with control ( P < 0.05 ). The GC-MS analysis and previous studies revealed that BSE contained propanoic acid, 3,3′-thiobis-, didodecyl ester, oleic acid, gamma-sitosterol, and stigmasterol which may play an important role in cognitive and memory impairment prevention. The toxicity test of BSE in rats at 50 and 200 mg/kg/day for two weeks showed that relative organ weight, serum creatinine, ALT, ALP, and CBC levels of both treated groups were not significantly different compared to the CON ( P > 0.05 ). These results suggest that BSE may not be toxic to the vital organ and blood. In conclusion, BSE has the potential to be developed as a health supplement product or medicine for AD prevention and treatment.

Development of a DNA barcode library of plants in the Thai Herbal Pharmacopoeia and Monographs for authentication of herbal products

“…Pueraria candollei is used to relieve menopausal symptoms, including vasomotor symptoms, reproductive symptoms, depression, and musculoskeletal pain, in estrogen-deficient women 33 . Butea superba has been used for rejuvenation, for sexual arousal, and to prevent erectile dysfunction 34 . These results clearly indicate the extent of the problem that might occur due to the use of unauthentic raw drugs in Thai medicine.…”

Phytochemical Study of <i>Butea superba</i> Roxb. and its Extraction by Successive Solvent and Direct Ethanolic Extraction

“…This fragrant vine is a verdant vegetable that may be consumed in its raw state or cooked by steaming. [1] Examining Indigenous customs and doing a thorough literature research on the plant Butea superba provides opportunities for future investigation into its phytochemical and pharmacological qualities. Conventional uses include using the tuber and stem of the plant in medical traditions, since it is considered to provide vigor, augment potency, and increase male sexual prowess.…”