Morphological Effects of Hydroalcoholic Zingiber Officinalis Extract in the Murine Hippocampus of Male Rat Offspring

Abstract

Background: The hippocampus is responsible for memory. A diet full of antioxidants improves brain damage and cognitive function. Regard the antioxidant effects of zingiber officinalis (ginger) and its flavonoids components. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the extract of ginger on memory by using hippocampus tissue of the male offspring of rats. Materials and Methods: In this study, 60 rats, 15 males and 45 females, were used. We separated pregnant female rats from males on the first day of pregnancy (determined by vaginal plug), and during days 16 -18 of pregnancy, via intraperitoneal injection, three groups received hydroalcoholic extract of ginger, with low (200 mg/kg bw), medium (400 mg/kg bw), and high (800 mg/kg bw) concentration doses. The control group did not receive anything, and the sham group received normal saline during these days. Then at day 50, the males offspring in each group were sacrificed, their brains were removed, and the hippocampus sections were prepared for microscopic studies. Data was analyzed by SPSS 20 and by using one-way ANOVA and then a Tukey post-test (P < 0.05 considered as the significance level). Results: This research showed that the number and thickness of pyramidal and granular layers of the CA1 and dentate gyrus areas of the hippocampus had increased in male offspring according to the increase in the ginger extract dose. Conclusions: It seems as though ginger extract, which contains compounds such as gingerols, shogaols, and zingerone, can affect memory ability in rats through these compounds' antioxidant properties by affecting embryonic acetylcholine content and place cells.