Azadirachta indica mitigates behavioral impairments, oxidative damage, histological alterations and apoptosis in focal cerebral ischemia–reperfusion model of rats

• Published in: Neurological sciences 2013-08, Vol.34 (8), p.1321-1330
• Main Authors: Vaibhav, Kumar, Shrivastava, Pallavi, Khan, Andleeb, Javed, Hayate, Tabassum, Rizwana, Ahmed, Md. Ejaz, Khan, M. Badruzzaman, Moshahid Khan, Mohd, Islam, Farah, Ahmad, Sayeed, Siddiqui, M. Saeed, Safhi, Mohammed M., Islam, Fakhrul
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Apoptosis - drug effects; Azadirachta; Azadirachta indica; Brain - drug effects; Brain - pathology; Brain Ischemia - drug therapy; Brain Ischemia - pathology; Disease Models, Animal; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Meliaceae; Neurology; Neuroradiology; Neurosciences; Neurosurgery; Original Article; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; Psychiatry; Psychomotor Disorders - drug therapy; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Reperfusion Injury - drug therapy; Reperfusion Injury - pathology
• ISSN: 1590-1874; 1590-3478
• DOI: 10.1007/s10072-012-1238-z

Azadirachta indica Linn. (Meliaceae) has been used from ancient times as a remedy for various ailments. The present study was designed to investigate the antioxidant and anti-apoptotic properties of A. indica seed extract (ASE) in transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) rat model. Antioxidant potential of ASE was determined in vitro. Further, ASE was evaluated against neurological deficits, histological alterations (TTC, CV and H&E) and oxidative damage (TBARS, GSH and nitrite) in MCAO rats. Moreover, caspase-3 and -9 were analyzed to evaluate the anti-apoptotic activity of ASE. ASE has shown potent in vitro reducing power (126.2 mg AsAE/g extract) and free radical scavenging activities (DPPH 171.0 and NO 176.0 μg/ml). Furthermore, ASE inhibited oxidative stress and decreased the activities of caspase-3 (26.7 %, p