• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.67-76
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• 2008

Objectives : Amnesia is theloss or impairment of memory, caused by physical injury, disease, drugs, or emotional trauma. Recently, the average life span is increasing, while at the same time, the incidence of dementia-like diseases in conjunction with amnesia are also increasing. Therefore learning and memory are very important issues in modern society. Ancient Korean physicians used several herbs to treat dementia and these herbal effects were described in Korean herbal books. Among them are some reports on several cognitive-enhancing herbs which have since been shown to improve dementia in recent pharmacological studies, such as Panax ginseng; however, the facilitatory effects of many Korean cognitive-enhancing herbs on learning and memory are limited. Learning and memory are essential requirements for every living organism in order to cope with environmental demands; cholinergic systems are known to be involved in learning and memory. Methods : In this study, the effects of Acori graminei rhizoma (AGR, 石菖蒲) on learning and memory were investigated by Morris water maze, eight-arm radial maze, and the effects on the central cholinergic system of rats injected with scopolamine. Results : In the water maze, the experimental animals were trained to find a platform in a fixed position for 6 days and then received a 60 sec probe trial in which the platform was removed from the pool on the 7th day. In the eight-arm radial maze, the animals were tested four times per day for 6 days. Scopolamine impaired performance of the maze tests and reduced activity of acetylcholinesterase (AchE) in the hippocampus, which is a marker for the central cholinergic system. There were significant reversals from the scopolamine-induced deficits on learning and memory in these tests, through daily administrations of AGR (100 mg/kg, p.o.) over 14 consecutive days. These treatments also reduced the loss of cholinergic activity in the hippocampus induced by scopolamine. Conclusions : These results demonstrated that AGR ameliorated learning and memory deficits by affecting the central acetylcholine system.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.55-60
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• 2021

Belamcandae Rhizoma (BR), the rhizome of Belamcanda chinensis (L.) DC., possesses various biological properties such as anti-inflammatory activity, antioxidant activity and antimutagenic activity. However, there have been no studies on the anti-amnesic effect of BR. In this study, we assessed the improvement effect of BR extract on scopolamine-induced amnesia in mice. ICR mice were administrated with BR (50, 100 or 200 mg/kg, p.o.) and were subsequently injected of scopolamine (1 mg/kg, i.p.) 30 min before behavioral tasks (Y-maze, passive avoidance and Morris water maze tasks). To further assess the possible mechanisms of BR, the ex vivo acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity was also evaluated. BR could ameliorate scopolamine-induced memory impairment and could regulate the cholinergic function by inhibiting the AChE activity. These data demonstrated that BR exert candidate extract against amnesia by restoring the cholinergic activity.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.673-677
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• 2014

HX106N은 용안육, 맥문동, 단삼 및 천마 등의 4가지 식물로 구성된 추출물로서, 선행 연구에서 amyloid ${\beta}$ peptide에 의한 생쥐의 기억력 저하 및 산화 손상을 억제하는 것으로 밝혀졌다. 이 연구에서는 HX106N이 비선택적 무스카린 수용체 길항제로 잘 알려진 스코폴라민(scopolamine)으로 유도한 콜린성 건망증(cholinergic amnesia)에 어떤 영향을 미치는지를 평가하였다. ICR 생쥐에게 스코폴라민(1 mg/kg body weight, i.p.)을 주입하기 1시간 전에 HX106N(100 mg/kg body weight, p.o.)을 투여하였다. 30분 후 수행한 Y-미로 시험(Y-maze test) 및 수동 회피 시험(passive avoidance test)에서 HX106N는 스코폴라민에 의해 감소되는 자발적 변경 행동(spontaneous alternation) 및 지체시간(step-through latency)을 유의미하게 억제하여 건망증을 개선시키는 것으로 나타났다. 또한 HX106N을 투약 1시간 후 생쥐의 해마와 대뇌피질 부위의 아세틸콜린에스테라제(acetylcholinesterase; AChE)의 활성을 측정한 결과 통계적으로 유의미한 정도의 활성 감소가 관찰되었다. 이러한 결과들을 종합할 때 HX106N은 AD에서 관찰되는 콜린성신경전달 장애로 인한 기억력 저하 억제에 사용될 수 있는 가능성을 가진 것으로 판단된다.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.421-428
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• 2011

This study evaluated cholineresterase inhibitory activity of Korean white ginseng extract (WGE), red ginseng extract (RGE), and black ginseng extract (BGE) and the cholinergic effect on scopolamine (SCOP)-induced amnesic mice. WGE, RGE, and BGE inhibited acetylcholineserase (AChE), as well as butyrylcholineserase (BuChE) in a concentration-dependent manner. BGE presented strong inhibition of AChE with an $IC_{50}$ value of 1.72 mg/mL, followed by WGE (5.89 mg/mL), RGE (6.30 mg/mL), respectively. The inhibitory activity of the three ginseng extracts on BuChE showed similar values among the groups. To better understand the mechanisms of the possible effect of ginseng extract on the cholinergic function, this study assessed the expression of the cholinergic markers of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and AChE using western blot and RT-PCR analysis in the brains of amnesic mice. Treatment with ginseng extracts led to inhibition of AChE expression and, the activation of ChAT expression in the hippocampus and the cerebral cortex of amnesic mice as induced by SCOP. The results suggest that ginseng extracts including BGE, appear to modulate the metabolism of acetylchoine (ACh), which would greatly increase synaptic ACh levels and most potently revert SCOP-induced amnesia.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.119-124
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• 2017

Taraxacum platycarpum H. Dahl. (Compositae) has been used as an anti-inflammatory or anti-cancer agent in the clinic. Although its antidepressant effect has been reported, however, its cognitive function is not investigated until yet. In the present study, we investigated whether the water extract of T. platycarpum (WETP) could improve cognitive function in cholinergic blockade-induced amnesia mouse model using the passive avoidance or Y-maze task. WETP (12.5, 25 or 50 mg/kg) significantly ameliorated the scopolamine-induced cognitive impairment both in the passive avoidance test and the Y-maze test. In addition, WETP significantly inhibited acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity measured by an ex vivo study using the mouse whole brain. These results suggest that WETP alleviates the cognitive dysfunction caused by the cholinergic blockade, in part, via AChE inhibition, and that it may be a useful for treating cognitive dysfunction.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.799-806
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• 2014

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of extract from Eriobotrya japonica leaves (EJE) on cognitive impairment induced by scopolamine, a muscarinic antagonist, in rats. Scopolamine injection (1 mg/kg, i.p.) impaired performance in rats in the passive avoidance test as well as in water maze test and severely reduced cholinergic system reactivity, as indicated by reduced acetylcholine levels and increased acetylcholinesterase activity. Daily administration of EJE significantly increased step-through latency in the passive avoidance test, reduced escape latency, and increased time spent in the platform quadrant in the Morris water maze test. EJE protected against scopolamine-induced cholinergic system deficit, including reduced acetylcholine levels and increased acetylcholinesterase activity in whole brain homogenates. These results suggest that EJE provides a significant anti-amnesic effect against scopolamine-induced cholinergic system deficits and cognitive impairment.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.11-26
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• 2003

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by amyloid deposition and associated loss of neunons in brain regions involved in learning and memory processes. Several causes of evidence support that the congnitive disturbance is closed associated with the deficit of cerebral acetylcholine neurotransmission, and the effect of carboxyl terminal 105 amino acid fragment (CT105) of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) on the gene expression of proinflammatory cytokines. We tested it on the scopolamine-induced amnesia model of the ICR mouse using the Morris water maze with repeated orally administration of 1st Green-Tea extract (200 mg/kg) and 2nd Green-Tea extract (200 mg/kg). The Green-Tea prevents impairment of learning and memory and neuronal loss in mouse models of cognitive disturbance and it demonstrated selectivity for inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Furthermore, the repeated administration of Green-Tea, CT105-induced alzheimer's mouse model showed central cholinergic activity by ameliorates learning and memory impairment, and isolation of CD14 microglia showed significantly decreases intracellular release of the proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$, interleukin-$1{\beta}$ and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Because of its composite profile, oral therapeutic index and a prophylactic, Green-Tea is considered the better therapeutic candidate for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.196-203
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• 2010

Black sesame (Sesami semen nigrum) has been used to treat dizziness, earnoise, constipation in the traditional Chinese medicine. In the present study, we assessed memory enhancing properties of 70% ethanolic extract of black sesame (EBS70) and its ameliorating activities on learning and memory impairments induced by scopolamine. Drug-induced amnesia was made by scopolamine treatment (1 mg/kg, i.p.). Single EBS70 (200 mg/kg, p.o.) administration significantly enhanced cognitive function and attenuated scopolamine-induced cognitive impairments as determined by the passive avoidance and Y-maze tasks (P<0.05) and also reduced escape-latency on the Morris water maze task (P<0.05). In addition, EBS70 increased BDNF expression in hippocampus 4 h after its administration (P<0.05). These results suggest that EBS70 enhances learning and memory in normal state and attenuates amnesic state caused by cholinergic dysfunction.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.185-199
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• 2011

In the present study, we assessed the effect of the PPA (Polygala japonica Houtt., Polygala tenuifolia WILLD. and Acorus gramineus SOLAND. mixed preparation), a traditional herbal prescription, on the learning and memory impairments induced by scopolamine. The cognition-enhancing effect of PPA was investigated using a passive avoidance test, Y-maze test and the Morris water maze test in mice. Drug-induced amnesia was induced by treating animals with scopolamine (1 mg/kg, i.p.). A single PPA (400 and 800 (mg/kg)) administration significantly reversed the scopolamine-induced cognitive impairments in the passive avoidance test (P<0.05). On the Y-maze test, PPA (400 and 800 (mg/kg)) also significantly reversed scopolamine-induced cognitive impairments in mice (P<0.05). PPA also improved escape latencies in training trials and increased swimming times and distances within the target zone of the Morris water maze (P<0.05). These results suggest that PPA attenuates amnesic state induced by scopolamine and that these Effect are mediated by enhancing the cholinergic dysfunction.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.303-310
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• 2002

Ancient Korean physicians have used several oriental herbs to cure dementia and these effects were described in the Korean herbal books. Some cognitive-enhancing oriental herbs have been widely used as a herbal medicine against dementia. However, few of studies have proved their efficacy in treatment for dementia. In the present study, we investigated the effects of herbal compounds, which are mainly consisted of Uncaria sinensis, Corydalis yanhusuo and Acorus gramineus on learning and memory in Mortis water maze task and the central cholinergic system of the rats with neurotoxic medial septum lesion. In water maze test, the animals were trained to find a platform in a fixed position during 6 days and then received a 60-s probe trial in which the platform was removed from the pool on the 7th day. Ibotanic and 192 saporin lesion of the medial septum (MS) impaired the performance of maze test and degenerated choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) in the brain, which is a marker of the central cholinergic system. Daily administrations of herbal medicine (100mg/kg, p.o.) for 21 consecutive days produced significant reversals of the neurotoxic-induced deficit in learning and memory. These treatments also reduced the loss of cholinergic immunoreactive neurons in the brain induced by neurotoxin. These results demonstrated that herbal compounds ameliorated learning and memory deficits through effects on the central nervous system, partly through effect on the acetylcholine system. Our studies suggest an evidence of these herbs as treatment of Alzheimer's disease.