Abstract
Bacopa monnieri (L.), popularly known as Brahmi, is a revered Ayurvedic medicinal plant used as nerve tonic since time immemorial. The present study aims to investigate the neuroprotective effect of bacosides, the active saponins of Bacopa monnieri (L.) against age associated neurodegeneration and its impact over the prevention of Senile Dementia of Alzheimer's Type (SDAT). The optimum dose of bacosides with no adverse effect was selected by screening its dose dependant activity on ageing biomarker lipofuscin and SDAT biomarker neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the aged female Wistar rat brain. The selected therapeutic dose of bacosides (200 mg/kg) was orally administered for 3 months in middle aged and aged rats and further investigated for its protective action against age associated alterations in neurotransmission system, behavioral paradigms, hippocampal neuronal loss and oxidative stress markers. The results of the present study suggest that bacosides may act as a potential therapeutic intervention in forestalling the deleterious effects of ageing and preventing the age associated pathologies like SDAT.
MeSH terms
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Acetylcholine / metabolism
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Acetylcholinesterase / metabolism
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Administration, Oral
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Age Factors
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Aging* / metabolism
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Animals
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Bacopa* / chemistry
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Behavior, Animal / drug effects
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Biogenic Monoamines / metabolism
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Biomarkers / metabolism
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Brain / drug effects*
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Brain / metabolism
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Brain / pathology
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Brain / physiopathology
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Cell Death / drug effects
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Cognition / drug effects
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Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
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Female
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GPI-Linked Proteins / metabolism
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Lipofuscin / metabolism
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Memory / drug effects
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Motor Activity / drug effects
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Neurodegenerative Diseases / metabolism
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Neurodegenerative Diseases / pathology
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Neurodegenerative Diseases / physiopathology
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Neurodegenerative Diseases / prevention & control*
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Neurodegenerative Diseases / psychology
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Neurons / drug effects*
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Neurons / metabolism
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Neurons / pathology
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Neuroprotective Agents / administration & dosage
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Neuroprotective Agents / isolation & purification
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Neuroprotective Agents / pharmacology*
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Oxidative Stress / drug effects
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Rats
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Rats, Wistar
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Saponins / administration & dosage
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Saponins / isolation & purification
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Saponins / pharmacology*
Substances
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Biogenic Monoamines
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Biomarkers
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GPI-Linked Proteins
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Lipofuscin
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Neuroprotective Agents
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Saponins
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Acetylcholinesterase
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Ache protein, rat
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Acetylcholine