Phytochemical Analysis, In Vitro Anticholinesterase, Antioxidant Activity and In Vivo Nootropic Effect of Ferula ammoniacum (Dorema ammoniacum) D. Don. in Scopolamine-Induced Memory Impairment in Mice

Abstract

Background: Ferula ammoniacum (D. Don) is one of the endemic medicinal plants that is traditionally used to treat a number of diseases. Although the plant has been used to enhance memory, the investigational evidence supporting the nootropic effect was unsubstantial. Hence, the rationale for this study was to assess the potential beneficial effect of F. ammoniacum seed extracts on learning and memory in mice. Methods: The powdered plant samples (aerial parts) were subjected to extraction ad fractionation. Among the extracts, crude and ethyl acetate extracts were screened for major phytochemicals through HPLC analysis. All the extracts were evaluated for the in vitro anticholinesterase (AChE and BChE) and antioxidant potentials. Among the extracts the active fraction was further assessed for improving learning and memory in mice using behavioural tests like Y-maze and novel object recognition test (NORT) using standard protocols. After behavioural tests, all the animals were sacrificed and brains tissues were assessed for the ex vivo anticholinesterase and antioxidant potentials. Results: Phytochemicals like chlorogenic acid, quercetin, mandelic acid, phloroglucinol, hydroxy benzoic acid, malic acid, epigallocatechin gallate, ellagic acid, rutin, and pyrogallol were identified in crude methanolic extract (Fa.Met) and ethyl acetate fraction (Fa.EtAc) through HPLC. Fa.EtAc and Fa.Chf extracts more potently inhibited AChE and BChE with IC50 values of 40 and 43 µg/mL, and 41 and 42 µg/mL, respectively. Similarly highest free radical scavenging potential was exhibited by Fa.EtAc fraction against DPPH (IC50 = 100 µg/mL) and ABTS (IC50 = 120 µg/mL). The extract doses, 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight significantly (p < 0.01) improved the short-term memory by increasing the percent spontaneous alternation in the Y-maze test along with increasing discrimination index in the NORT that clearly indicated the enhancement in the recognition memory of mice. Conclusion: The extracts more potently scavenged the tested free radicals, exhibited anticholinesterase activities, improved the learning abilities and reduced the memory impairment induced by scopolamine in mice model thus suggesting that these extracts could be effectively used for the management of oxidative stress, neurodegenerative diseases and memory loss.

Screening of herbal molecules for the management of Alzheimer’s Disorder through molecular docking andin-vitroinvestigation

“…Although the IC50 values for these molecules are significantly higher than donepezil, still having IC 50 values in this range suggests these molecules be a strong inhibitor of AChE activity. These findings are in line with previous findings where quercetin and rutin have been reported to possess the good potential to inhibit AChE activity in in-vitro 21, 22 , pre-clinical settings 23 , and clinical settings. 24 β-carotene, sumaflavone, and vitisinol-C also resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of AChE activity, and their IC 50 values (508.60 ± 43.10, 694.18 ± 31.58, and 1009.87 ± 136.30 respectively) were observed to be higher than quercetin and rutin.…”

Phytochemical profiling and antioxidant potential of Daphne mucronata Royle and action against paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity in rabbits

“…Among them, chlorogenic acid, epigallocatechin gallate, quercetin, and ellagic acid have previously exhibited strong antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities ( Zhang et al, 2014 , Afifi et al, 2018 , Ashraf et al, 2018 , Aljelehawy et al, 2020 ). Plants have antioxidant properties depending on the content of phenol and flavonoids, due to which they may play a role in scavenging free radicals thus exhibiting protective effects in oxidative stress and related complications in animal models ( Nazir et al, 2021 ).…”

“…Therefore, according to the guidelines of OECD, Met. Ext at dose 250 and 500 mg/kg body weight (maximum dose) that was 1/10th of 1500 and 5000 mg/kg dose were given to experimental animals in subsequent experiments to assess the hepatoprotective and nephroprotective effect of the extract ( Nazir et al, 2021 ).…”

Spasmolytic, Gastroprotective and Antioxidant Activities of Dry Methanol Extract of Ferula heuffelii Underground Parts

“…[1,7] Furthermore, it was demonstrated that asafetida possess hypotensive, antidiabetic, antitumor, chemopreventive, [1] antinociceptive, antiinflammatory, [8] anxiolytic [9] and antiepileptic effects in vivo, and antioxidant [10] and anticholinesterase activities in vitro. [11] Also, for various other isolates of Ferula species, the potential in treatment of some gastrointestinal (i. e., gastric ulcers), [12] neurological (i. e., epilepsy and neurodegenerative diseases) [13,14] and cardiovascular (i. e., hypertension) disorders, [15] and diabetes [16] was revealed in vivo, and spasmolytic, [17] anti-inflammatory, [18] antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, as well as cytotoxicity against some cancer cell lines were shown in vitro. [19] Chemical composition of different Ferula species was previously investigated.…”