| RESEARCH ARTICLE |
|
| Year : 2015 | Volume
: 47
| Issue : 4 | Page : 419-424 |
Calotropis procera : A potential cognition enhancer in scopolamine and electroconvulsive shock-induced amnesia in rats
Rohit Malabade, Ashok D Taranalli
Department of Pharmacology, KLE University's College of Pharmacy, Belagavi, Karnataka, India
Correspondence Address:
[email protected] Rohit Malabade
Department of Pharmacology, KLE University's College of Pharmacy, Belagavi, Karnataka
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/0253-7613.161269
Objectives: Present study evaluates the effect of Calotropis procera (Apocynaceae) dry latex on cognitive function in rats using scopolamine and electroconvulsive shock (ECS) induced amnesia model.
Materials and Methods: Male Wistar rats were pretreated with 200, 400 and 800 mg/kg of C. procera dry latex in scopolamine-induced amnesia model. Dose showing maximum effect in cognitive performance was selected and further evaluated using scopolamine and ECS-induced amnesia model for its effect on neurochemical enzymes and cognitive performance. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, β amyloid 1-42 , and dopamine level were analyzed, while the cognitive performance was assessed by elevated plus maze, step-through passive avoidance test, and Morris water maze. Simultaneously, C. procera dry latex (25, 50, 100, 250, 500, and 1000 μg/mL) was screened for in vitro AChE inhibition assay.
Results: Pretreatment with (200, 400 and 800 mg/kg) C. procera dry latex shows dose dependent increase in cognitive performance in scopolamine-induced amnesia. Further, pretreatment with the selected dose (800 mg/kg) showed significant improvement in transfer latency (P < 0.001, P < 0.01), escape latency (P < 0.05), time spent in target quadrant (P < 0.001) also significant decrease in AChE activity (P < 0.05), β amyloid 1-42 level (P < 0.001), and increase in dopamine level (P < 0.01) in rat brain homogenate when compared with scopolamine and ECS disease control groups. IC 50 for C. procera dry latex was found to be <1000 μg/mL.
Conclusions: Pretreatment with C. procera dry latex (800 mg/kg) produced significant cognition enhancement by improving cognitive performance and decreasing the marker neurochemical enzyme activity in scopolamine and ECS-induced amnesia model.
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