Influence of Fruits Extract & Fractions of Terminalia Chebula on Chemical Induced Memory Impairments in Rats

Abstract

AIM- the aim of the present investigation is to study the Influence of Fruits Extract & Fractions of Terminalia Chebula on Chemical Induced Memory Impairments in Rats.

MATERIAL & METHODS- The dried fruits of Terminalia chebula were extracted by successive solvent extraction method with the help of soxhlet apparatus. The plant material first extracted with petroleum ether then chloroform, acetone, methanol and ethanol. Fixed dose method as in Annex 2d: Test procedure with a starting dose of 2000 mg/Kg body weight was adopted. Memory impairment, the most important component of dementia, was induced in mice by intraperitoneal administration of scopolamine. At the end of experiment, the experimental animals were sacrificed by cervical dislocation and brains were taken out. They were rinsed thoroughly with ice-chilled 0.9% NaCl and weighed. A 10% (w/v) tissue homogenate was prepared in 0.1 M phosphate buffer (pH 7.4). The post nuclear fraction was obtained by centrifugation (Remi - C-30, Remi Industries Ltd, Mumbai, India) of the homogenate at 12000g for 60 min at 4ºC.

RESULTS- Spatial learning in the water maze was analysed during acquisition trial in term of escape latencies. The mean latencies spent to reach the platform and time spent in the target quadrant in vehicle control group was 130.7 ± 0.6146 and 64.00 ± 1.033 respectively. In a scopolamine treated group animals the total protein level significantly decreased to the extent of 4.602 mg/dl as compared to normal vehicle control group 8.012 mg/dl. The reference standard Piracetam (PC) treated animals showed marked significant increase in brain tissue Reduced glutathione level 1.739 nm/mg as compared to disease control animals to the extent of   0.7233 nm/mg.

CONCLUSION- On the basis of the preliminary screening of the T. chebula fruit extracts (Ethanol, Methanol, Acetone and Chloroform extracts) we concluded that ethanolic extracts of T. chebula significantly improved learning memory in several exteroceptive and interoceptive behavioural models of scopolamine induced memory deficit activity.