Cortico-hippocampal salvage in chronic aluminium induced neurodegeneration by Celastrus paniculatus seed oil: Neurobehavioural, biochemical, histological study

Phytochemistry and pharmacology of Celastrus paniculatus Wild.: a nootropic drug

OBJECTIVES

Celastrus paniculatus Wild is an evergreen climbing shrub. The plant is of great significance in the traditional Indian System of Medicine, such as Ayurveda, Unani, and Siddha. The seeds and their oil are extensively used to treat neurological disorders such as cognitive dysfunction, paralysis, epilepsy, insomnia, and other ailments like rheumatism, arthritis, sciatica, and leprosy. This paper aims to highlight the nootropic activity of C. paniculatus and explore its phytochemistry, traditional uses, and other pharmacological activities.

METHODS

All available information concerning C. paniculatus has been searched in the internationally accepted scientific databases, including PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Additional knowledge was gathered from the classical Textbooks and Unani Pharmacopoeia.

RESULTS

C. paniculatus is a rich source of several secondary metabolites, such as β-Dihydroagarofuranoids sesquiterpenes, alkaloids (Celastrine, Celapanin, Celapagin, and paniculatin), flavonoids, terpenoid (β-amyrin, Lupeol, Pristimerin), sterols (β-sitosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, α-tocopherol, γ-Tocopherol), fatty acid (palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, linolenic acids) and non-fatty acids (Benzoic acid, Cinnamic acid). The various study shows that the extracts and active constituent of this plant possess potent nootropic activity. Besides nootropic activity, it has also been reported for anti-Alzheimer, anticonvulsant, antidepressant, antioxidant, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antiarthritic, gastroprotective, anti-psoriatic, wound healing, antibacterial, antimalarial, and several other properties.

CONCLUSIONS

Several in vitro and in vivo trials confirm the conventional use of C. paniculatus in cognitive dysfunction. However, the relations between the possible mechanisms of other activities and traditional uses of the C. paniculatus remain indistinct. Still, pharmacological studies also explored the effects of C. paniculatus, which were not recognized in ancient times, such as cytotoxic, ACE inhibitor, and antidiabetic activities. These discoveries are may be beneficial in the development of the new drug to treat various diseases. It is also confirmed that the β-dihydroagarofuranoids exhibit significant AChE inhibitory, cytotoxic, antibacterial, and insecticidal effects. This versatile medicine is truly a life elixir. Considering the therapeutic importance of the C. paniculatus and the absence of any reported clinical studies, extensive clinical trials are needed to explore its memory enhancing and other activities.

Celastrus paniculatus oil ameliorates NF-KB mediated neuroinflammation and synaptic plasticity in the scopolamine-induced cognitive impairment rat model

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Traditionally, Celastrus paniculatus Willd. (CP) oil has been utilized as a tranquilizer and memory enhancer. The present study investigated the neuropharmacological activity and efficacy of CP oil in ameliorating scopolamine-induced cognitive impairment in rats.

EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE

Cognitive deficiency was induced in rats by administration of scopolamine (2 mg/kg intraperitoneal injection) for a period of 15 days. Donepezil served as a reference drug and CP oil was tested as both preventive and curative treatments. Animals' behaviour was assessed through the Morris water maze (MWM), novel object preference (NOR), and conditioned avoidance (CA) tests. Oxidative stress parameters, bioamine concentration (dopamine, noradrenaline, and 5-hydroxytryptamine), nerve growth factor (NGF), interleukin-6 (IL-6), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-кB), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) were estimated. Synaptophysin immunohistochemistry was performed.

RESULTS

Our results showed that CP oil ameliorated behavioural deficits. It reduced latency to find a hidden platform in MWM. Reduced novel object exploration time and discrimination index (p < 0.05) in the NOR. Reduced step-down latency and normalized conditioned avoidance response (p < 0.001) in the CA test. CP oil increased dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione, and catalase levels. It decreased malondialdehyde (MDA), acetylcholinesterase activity, IL-6, NF-кB (P < 0.001), TNFα, and NGF levels. Treatment showed approximate typical reactivity to synaptophysin.

CONCLUSION

Our data is suggestive that CP oil treatment improves behavioural test outcomes, increases biogenic amine concentration, and decreases acetylcholinesterase activity, and neuroinflammatory biomarkers. It also restores synaptic plasticity. It thus improves cognitive functions against scopolamine-induced amnesia in rats by improving cholinergic function.

Neurotoxic effects of aluminium exposure as a potential risk factor for Alzheimer's disease

Aluminium is one of the most widely distributed elements of the Earth's crust. Its routine use has resulted in excessive human exposure and due to the potential neurotoxic effects has attained a huge interest in recent years. Despite its ubiquitous abundance, aluminium has no crucial biological functions in the human body. Oxidative stress and neuroinflammatory effects are attributed to its neurotoxic manifestations implicated in Alzheimer's disease. In this review, we have discussed the neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative events in the brain induced by aluminium exposure. We have highlighted the neurotoxic events caused by aluminium, such as oxidative stress, apoptosis, inflammatory events, calcium dyshomeostasis, Aβ deposition, and neurofibrillary tangle formation in the brain. In addition, the protective measures needed for prevention of aluminium-induced neuronal dysregulations have also been discussed.

Differential effect of Ayurvedic nootropics on C. elegans models of Parkinson's disease

BACKGROUND

Globally, there is increased incidence of Parkinson's Disease (PD), which is the second most common age-related neurodegenerative disease. The currently available PD-therapeutics provide only symptomatic relief. Thus, there is an urgent need to devise an effective and safe treatment strategy for PD. The holistic approach of Ayurveda can be a potential effective strategy for treating PD. The integration of different medicine systems, such as modern bio-medicine and Ayurveda can be an effective strategy for treatment of complex diseases, including PD.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the neuroprotective mechanism of six Ayurvedic nootropics that are commonly used to treat PD.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Six Ayurvedic herbs, namely Mucuna pruriens (MP), Bacopa monnieri (BM), Withania somnifera (WS), Centella asiatica (CA), Sida cordifolia (SC), and Celastrus paniculatus (CP), were selected after consultation with Ayurvedic scholars and physicians. The mode of action of methanolic herbal extracts was evaluated using the Caenorhabditis elegans BZ555 and NL5901 strains, which can be used to model the two main hallmarks of PD, namely degeneration of dopaminergic neurons and aggregation of α-synuclein protein.

RESULTS

All six herbal extracts exhibited neuroprotective effect. The extracts of BM and MP exhibited maximum protection against 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium iodide (MPP+ iodide)-induced dopaminergic neurodegeneration in the BZ555 strain. Furthermore, the herbal extracts, except CA extract, inhibited the aggregation of heterologously expressed human α-synuclein in the NL5901 strain.

CONCLUSION

Ayurvedic herbs used in the treatment of PD exhibited differential neuroprotective and protein aggregation mitigating effects in C. elegans.

Increased Levels of Acetylcholinesterase, Paraoxonase 1, and Copper in Patients with Moderate Depression- a Preliminary Study

BACKGROUND

Depression is a common and widespread mood disorder, which affects an emotional level that varies widely in its intensity. Biochemical parameter alterations have been observed in different depression types. In the present study, we examined acetylcholinesterase (AChE), paraoxonase 1 (PON1), and copper levels in moderately-depressed patients and healthy controls to ascertain whether the measurement of red blood cell (RBC) AChE, and plasma PON1 and copper could be used to evaluate moderate depression.

METHODS

This case control study was performed in the Department of Biochemistry, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India. Patients who met ICD 10 diagnostic criteria were considered as cases. Goldberg's General Health Questionnaire 28 (GHQ-28) was used to select controls. Four ml of blood was collected from 24 cases and 20 controls aged 35-70 years and used to determine RBC AChE, and plasma PON1 and copper levels.

RESULTS

Red blood cell AChE, and plasma PON1 and copper levels were significantly greater in patients with moderate depression than in controls. Further, a receiver operating characteristic curve for validity of the biochemical parameters in plasma from patients with moderate depression indicated sensitivity and specificity above 85% for copper and PON1.

CONCLUSION

Red blood cell AChE, plasma PON1, and copper levels may have roles in the pathogenesis of depressive disorders.

Glucose 6 phosphatase dehydrogenase (G6PD) and neurodegenerative disorders: Mapping diagnostic and therapeutic opportunities

Glucose 6 phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) is a key and rate limiting enzyme in the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP). The physiological significance of enzyme is providing reduced energy to specific cells like erythrocyte by maintaining co-enzyme nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH). There are preponderance research findings that demonstrate the enzyme (G6PD) role in the energy balance, and it is associated with blood-related diseases and disorders, primarily the anemia resulted from G6PD deficiency. The X-linked genetic deficiency of G6PD and associated non-immune hemolytic anemia have been studied widely across the globe. Recent advancement in biology, more precisely neuroscience has revealed that G6PD is centrally involved in many neurological and neurodegenerative disorders. The neuroprotective role of the enzyme (G6PD) has also been established, as well as the potential of G6PD in oxidative damage and the Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) produced in cerebral ischemia. Though G6PD deficiency remains a global health issue, however, a paradigm shift in research focusing the potential of the enzyme in neurological and neurodegenerative disorders will surely open a new avenue in diagnostics and enzyme therapeutics. Here, in this study, more emphasis was made on exploring the role of G6PD in neurological and inflammatory disorders as well as non-immune hemolytic anemia, thus providing diagnostic and therapeutic opportunities.

The Synergistic Beneficial Effects of Ginkgo Flavonoid and Coriolus versicolor Polysaccharide for Memory Improvements in a Mouse Model of Dementia

This study reports the combination of Ginkgo flavonoid (GF) and Coriolus versicolor polysaccharide (CVP) in the prevention and treatment of a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (AD). GF is a traditional health product, and CVP is the main active ingredient of the medicinal fungus Coriolus versicolor. The Morris water maze test, the Y maze, and the step-through test showed that the combinational use of CVP and GF synergistically improved memory in a mouse model of AD. Based on H&E staining analysis, the combination of CVP and GF decreased the severity of the pathological findings in the brain. Given that the expression of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α was downregulated, the inflammation response in AD mice was considered to be inhibited. The downregulation of GFAP further demonstrated that inflammation was reduced in the brain of AD mice following treatment. Moreover, the expression levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) were elevated in the brains of treated mice, indicating that oxidation levels were reduced upon the combination treatment. Our results provide new insights into the efficient utilization of traditional medicine for preventing dementia.

Estrogen inhibits lipid peroxidation after hypoxic-ischemic brain damage in neonatal rats

Sprague-Dawley neonatal rats within 7 days after birth were used in this study. The left common carotid artery was occluded and rats were housed in an 8% O2 environment for 2 hours to establish a hypoxic-ischemic brain damage model. 17β-estradiol (1 × 10(-5) M) was injected into the rat abdominal cavity after the model was successfully established. The left hemisphere was obtained at 12, 24, 48, 72 hours after operation. Results showed that malondialdehyde content in the left brain of neonatal rats gradually increased as modeling time prolonged, while malondialdehyde content of 17β-estrodial-treated rats significantly declined by 24 hours, reached lowest levels at 48 hours, and then peaked at 72 hours after injury. Nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate histochemical staining showed the nitric oxide synthase-positive cells and fibers dyed blue/violet and were mainly distributed in the cortex, hippocampus and medial septal nuclei. The number of nitric oxide synthase-positive cells peaked at 48 hours and significantly decreased after 17β-estrodial treatment. Our experimental findings indicate that estrogen plays a protective role following hypoxic-ischemic brain damage by alleviating lipid peroxidation through reducing the expression of nitric oxide synthase and the content of malondialdehyde.