| RESEARCH ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2008 | Volume
: 40
| Issue : 5 | Page : 215-220 |
Protective effect of aqueous extract of Embelia ribes Burm fruits in middle cerebral artery occlusion-induced focal cerebral ischemia in rats
Uma Bhandari, M Nazam Ansari
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Hamdard University, New Delhi, India
Correspondence Address:
Uma Bhandari
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Hamdard University, New Delhi
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/0253-7613.44153
Objective: The present study was carried out to evaluate the neuroprotective effect of the aqueous extract of Embelia ribes , in focal ischemic brain.
Materials and Methods: Adult male Wistar albino rats were fed with the aqueous extract of Embelia ribes (100 and 200 mg/kg, p.o.) for 30 days. After 30 days of feeding, all the animals were anaesthetized with chloral hydrate (400 mg/kg, i.p.). The right middle cerebral artery was occluded with a 4-0 suture for 2 h. The suture was removed after 2 h, to allow reperfusion injury. The animals were used for grip strength measurement, biochemical estimation in serum and brain tissue (hippocampus and frontal cortex) and cerebral infarct size measurement.
Results: In the ischemic group, a significant (P <0.01) alteration in the markers of oxidative damage (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS); reduced glutathione (GSH); glutathione peroxidase (GPx); glutathione reductase (GR); and, glutathione-S-transferase (GST)) was observed in the hippocampus and frontal cortex, as compared to sham operated rats. We observed that the animals treated with the aqueous extract of Embelia ribes had a significant (P <0.01) increase in the poststroke grip strength activity. Further, supplementation with aqueous extract of Embelia ribes reversed the levels/activities of the above mentioned biochemical parameters significantly (P<0.01) and also resulted in decreased cerebral infarct area, as compared to the ischemic group.
Conclusion: The results of our study, for the first time, provide clear evidence that aqueous extract of Embelia ribes pretreatment ameliorates cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury and enhances the antioxidant defense against middle cerebral artery occlusion-induced cerebral infarction in rats; it exhibits neuroprotective property.
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