Antihypertensive and cardioprotective effects of Cerebralcare granule® on spontaneously hypertensive rats from the perspective of the gaseous triumvirate NO-CO-H2S system

Prunella vulgaris L., an Edible and Medicinal Plant, Attenuates Scopolamine-Induced Memory Impairment in Rats

Prunella vulgaris L. is as a major plant in the Chinese traditional functional beverage Guangdong herbal tea for the treatment of fevers, diarrhea, and sore mouth. In this study, ethyl acetate parts of aqueous extracts from P. vulgaris L. (EtOAc-APV) were found to demonstrate potent acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition in vitro. Therefore, this study was designed to further investigate the effects of EtOAc-APV on scopolamine (SCOP)-induced aging rats. Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups (n = 12) and given orally by gavage EtOAc-APV (100 mg/kg) for 3 weeks. SCOP (1 mg/kg, ip) was administered to rats 30 min before starting behavioral tests consecutively for 3 days. EtOAc-APV could attenuate SCOP-induced brain senescence in rats by improving behavioral performance and decreasing brain cell damage, which was associated with a notable reduction in AChE activity and MDA level, as well as an increase in SOD and GPx activities. Additionally, EtOAc-APV administration could reduce the expression of NF-κB and GFAP, which showed an anti-neuroinflammatory effect on the SCOP-treated rat. Overall, the current study highlights P. vulgaris L. as an antidementia dietary supplement.

Cerebralcare Granule(®), a Chinese Herb Compound Preparation, Attenuates D-Galactose Induced Memory Impairment in Mice

Cerebralcare granule(®) (CG) is a preparation of Traditional Chinese Medicine that widely used in China. It was approved by the China State Food and Drug Administration for treatment of headache and dizziness associated with cerebrovascular diseases. In the present study, we aimed to investigate whether CG had protective effect against D-galactose (gal)-induced memory impairment and to explore the mechanism of its action. D-gal was administered (100 mg/kg, subcutaneously) once daily for 8 weeks to induced memory deficit and neurotoxicity in the brain of aging mouse and CG (7.5, 15, and 30 g/kg) were simultaneously administered orally. The present study demonstrates that CG can alleviate aging in the mouse brain induced by D-gal through improving behavioral performance and reducing brain cell damage in the hippocampus. CG prevents aging mainly via suppression of oxidative stress response, such as decreasing NO and MDA levels, renewing activities of SOD, CAT, and GPx, as well as decreasing AChE activity in the brain of D-gal-treated mice. In addition, CG prevents aging through inhibiting NF-κB-mediated inflammatory response and caspase-3-medicated neurodegeneration in the brain of D-gal treated mice. Taken together, these data clearly demonstrates that subcutaneous injection of D-gal produced memory deficit, meanwhile CG can protect neuron from D-gal insults and improve memory ability.