Emilia coccinae (SIMS) G Extract improves memory impairment, cholinergic dysfunction, and oxidative stress damage in scopolamine-treated rats

• Published in: BMC complementary and alternative medicine 2015-09, Vol.15 (1), p.333-333, Article 333
• Main Authors: Foyet, Harquin Simplice, Abaïssou, Hervé Hervé Ngatanko, Wado, Eglantine, Acha, Emmanuel Asongalem, Alin, Ciobica
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acetylcholine; Acetylcholinesterase - drug effects; Acetylcholinesterase - metabolism; Amnesia - drug therapy; Animals; Antioxidants; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Asteraceae - chemistry; Brain - drug effects; Cholinergic Agents - pharmacology; Cognition disorders; Development and progression; Health aspects; Hippocampus - drug effects; Lipid Peroxidation; Male; Memory - drug effects; Memory Disorders - drug therapy; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Patient outcomes; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Risk factors; Scopolamine
• ISSN: 1472-6882; 1472-6882
• DOI: 10.1186/s12906-015-0864-4

E. coccinae (SIMS) G. (Asteraceae) is an annual plant commonly found throughout the plain of the Central Africa and widely used in Cameroonian folk medicine for the treatment of fever and convulsions in children. We previously reported that the methanolic extract of this plant improved spatial memory. However no underlying mechanism was explored. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of the hydroalcoholic extract of Emilia coccinae on memory in scopolamine treated rats and to propose possible mechanisms of action. Novel object recognition and Y-maze paradigm were used to test memory while oxidative profile, AChE and ACh level of the whole brain were assessed to outline the mechanism of nootropic activity of the extract. 200 and 400 mg/kg of the extract were chronically administrated during 14 consecutive days in separate groups of scopolamine intraperitoneal treated rats (1.5 mg/kg). The hydroalcoholic extract of Emilia coccinae (HEEC) at the dose of 200 mg/kg significantly improved the memory of rats and reversed the amnesia induced by scopolamine. In addition, we showed that this extract is decreasing the acetyl cholinesterase activity while also increasing the acetylcholine levels in the brain. HEEC (200 and 400 mg/kg) significantly increased antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, GSH and CAT) and reduced lipid peroxidation (MDA level) in the rat whole brain homogenates. Taken together, our results suggested that the hydroalcoholic extract of Emilia coccinae ameliorated the cognitive dysfunction in scopolamine treated rats through the blockage of the oxidative effect of scopolamine and inhibition of AChE activity.