Neuropharmacological studies of ethanolic extract of Vaccinium corymbosum on Alzheimer's type dementia and catatonia in Swiss albino mice

• Published in: Journal of HerbMed Pharmacology
• Main Author: Chellammal H.S.J.; Menon B.V.V.; Hasan M.H.; Azil A.; Suhaimi M.T.B.; Chandarasekaran P.; Murugan Y.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Nickan Research Institute 2021
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85103663925&doi=10.34172%2fjhp.2021.27&partnerID=40&md5=46abaf4026264b8a4955b06c9b146300

Introduction: Neuroactive herbal drugs enriched with antioxidants are valuable in treating neurocognitive dysfunction and Vaccinium corymbosum, enriched with antioxidant phytochemicals, is used for treating memory disorders. Hence, the present study evaluated the neuroprotective effects of ethanolic extract of Vaccinium corymbosum (EEVC) on aluminium chloride(AlCl3)-induced Alzheimer's type of dementia and haloperidol-induced catalepsy-associated behavioural changes. Methods: In vitro antioxidant potential was evaluated using 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2, 2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS). The total phenolic content (TPC) was quantified. For in vivo studies, AlCl3(100 mg/kg) was orally administered for 42 days, whereas the EEVC was administered on the 21stday until the 42ndday in two doses (200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg). In the haloperidol-induced group, EEVC was treated for 21 days, and haloperidol (1 mg/kg) was administered to induce behavioural changes. Open-field, Y-Maze and traction tests were performed, and the mice brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzyme was determined. Results: IC50values in DPPH and ABTS assays were 85.5 μg/mL and 80 μg/mL, respectively and the total phenolic content of EEVC was found to be 0.166 mg. In behavioural study, animals treated with 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg of EEVC exhibited a neuroprotective impact on AlCl3-induced neurodegeneration and haloperidol-induced behavioural changes with significant inhibition (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively) in acetylcholinesterase enzyme. Conclusion: The neuroprotection by EEVC postulated that it is a promising therapeutic agent for treating behavioural and cognitive dysfunctions. Further investigations on pro-inflammatory cytokine and neuroendocrine regulation in transgenic Alzheimer's disease (AD)models complement the therapeutic value of V. corymbosum. © 2021 Nickan Research Institute. All rights reserved.