• Food Science and Biotechnology
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.384-388
• /
• 2008

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder and is responsible for more than 50% of all dementia cases. There is significant interest in finding new sources of compounds that inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE) to be used in the treatment of AD, since only a few AChE inhibitors, such as galanthamine, physostigmine, and tacrine, are available for clinical use. In the present study, ICR mice were treated with a 1 mg/kg scopolamine, which caused impaired cognitive ability. The steady consumption of a water extract of Chrysanthemum indicum Linne flowers for 3 months significantly prevented the scopolamine induced deficit of the spatial cognitive capability of mice. It also improved long-term memory in mice with amnesia induced by scopolamine, as assessed by the Morris water maze and passive avoidance tests. In addition, water extract consumption significantly decreased AChE activity in mouse brain, leading to inhibition of acetylcholine hydrolysis.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.19 no.5
• /
• pp.688-691
• /
• 2009

The methanol extract of muskmelon (Cucumis melo) has been investigated for its cognition enhancing effects by evaluation of inhibitory activities on acetylcholinesterase, a degrading enzyme of acetylcholine, a brain neurotransmitter, and ${\beta}$- secretase, which forms the ${\beta}$-amyloid toxic protein from its precursor protein. A passive avoidance task, one of the animal model experiments for learning and memory, was also performed. As a result, the melon extract showed 15.8% and 35.3% inhibition on acetylcholinesterase and ${\beta}$-secretase, respectively, with a final concentration of 100 mg/ml. In the animal model test, melon extract significantly (p<0.05) lengthened the step-through latency time by 22.7% compared to the control group, suggesting that melon extract has, indeed, an effect on cognition enhancement.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.27 no.1
• /
• pp.253-264
• /
• 2006

Object: This research investigated effects of Jujadokseo-hwan on mice with Alzheimer's Disease induced by $amyloid-{\beta}$. According to Dongyibogam, Jujadokseo-hwan can cure amnesia. Amyloid-B is believed to induce oxidative stress and inflammation in the brain, postulated to play important roles in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. In this way $Amyloid-{\beta}$ induces Alzheimer's Disease. Methods : In order to make an efficient prescription and cope with dementia, learning and memory functions of mice were tested on passive avoidance test and V-maze task. $NF-{\kappa}B$ were measured from protein derived from the brain. RT-PCR was done for !gene analysis. Primers were protein kinase Band $NGF-{\alpha}$. Results : 1. Jujadokseo-hwan was effective for memory capacity on passive avoidance test. but noneffective for spatial memory capacity and locomotor activity on Y -maze task. 2. The measurement of $NF-{\kappa}B$ showed upward tendancies and the result of RT-PCR showed up-regulation when given Jujadokseo-hwan by mouth. Conclusion: Results suggest that Jujadokseo-hwan is effective on mice with Alzheimer's Disease induced by $amyloid-{\beta}$.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
• /
• v.19 no.3
• /
• pp.101-115
• /
• 2008

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effects of Sam-Jeong-Hwan(SJH) on the animal model of depression induced immobilization stress. Method: The subject were divided into 4 groups(l. normal 2. saline solution administered during immobilization stress treatment 3. SJH of 100mg/kg administered 4. BKJ of 400mg/kg administered). Immobilization stress was treated for 1 hours on day. During 2 days of immobilization stress treatment, they were executed forced swimming test, passive avoidance test, elevated plus maze test. Corticosterone and ACTH in blood were measured. Results: In forced swimming test, SJH of 400mg/kg group showed decreased immobilization. In passive avoidance test, SJH of 400mg/kg group showed increased learning execution. In EPM test, SJH of 400mg/kg group showed decreased anxiety. In locomotor activity test, SJH groups showed significantly increased locomotor activity. Stress group showed significantly increase in serum level of corticosterone, SJH of 400mg/kg group showed decreased serum level of corticosterone. Stress group showed significantly increase in serum level of ACTH, SJH of 400mg/kg group showed decreased serum level of ACTH. Conclusion: These results suggest that Sam-Jeong-Hwan(SJH) is effective in the treatment of depression.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.25 no.5
• /
• pp.876-880
• /
• 2011

Gammakdaejo-Tang (GMT) is a traditional oriental medicinal formula, a mixture of 3 crude drugs, and it has been clinically used for treating mild depressive disorders. The purpose of the study was to examine the effect of Gammakdaejo-Tang (GMT) on repeated stress-induced alterations of learning and memory on a passive avoidance test (PAT) test and also the anxiety-related behavior on the elevated pulse maze (EPM) in ovariectomized female rats. We assessed the changes in the reactivity of the cholinergic system by measuring the immunoreactive neurons of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) in the hippocampus after behavioral testing. The rats were exposed to the immobilization (IMO) stress for 14 days (2hours/day), and Gammakdaejo-Tang (400 mg/kg, p.o.) was administered 30 min before IMO stress. Treatments with GMT caused significant reversals of the stress-induced deficits in learning and memory on a working memory test, and it also produced an anxiolytic-like effect on the EPM, and increased the ChAT reactivities (p<0.001, respectively). These results suggest that Gammakdaejo-Tang might prove to be an effective antidepressant agent.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
• /
• v.23 no.4
• /
• pp.485-491
• /
• 2010

With an increase in the number of people suffering from ageing-related diseases in our rapidly aging society, interests in natural products such as maca(Lepidium meyenii), which has properties of enhancing cognition and sexual performance, have increased. This study was conducted to assess the effects of 7 weeks of maca extract supplementation(0.5~2.0 g/kg BW) on scopolamine-induced amnesia in mice and on sperm count in male mice. All doses of maca supplementation significantly protected against scopolamine-induced amnesia as determined by a Morris water maze, but not according to passive avoidance tests. Maca supplementation did not affect acetylcholinesterase activity in the whole brain, nor the testicular sperm count of male mice. This study suggests that maca may have some neuroprotective properties in mice, which will be further examined by future studies.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• v.28 no.6
• /
• pp.691-698
• /
• 2005

Phlorotannins, the polyphonic compounds found in brown Eisenia and Ecklonia algae, have several pharmacologically beneficial effects such as anti-inflammation. In addition, our recent data show that these compounds may improve the cognitive functions of aged humans suggesting the potential ability to enhance memory in several neurodegenerative disorders. To examine the experimental hypothesis that two effective components of Ecklonia cava, dieckol and phlorofucofuroeckol (PFF), have memory-enhancing abilities, both were administered orally to mice before a passive avoidance test. The repeated administration of either dieckol or PFF dose-dependently reduced the inhibition of latency by the administration of ethanol. To investigate the mode of memory-enhancing actions, the levels of major central neurotransmitters in three different regions (striatum, hippocampus, and frontal cortex) of the mouse brain were measured. The levels of some of the neurotransmitters were significantly changed by ethanol. Both dieckol and PFF altered the levels of some neurotransmitters modified by the ethanol treatment. It is noteworthy that both dieckol and PFF increased the level of acetylcho-line, and they exerted anticholinesterase activities. Overall, the memory-enhancing abilities of dieckol and PFF may result from, at least in part, the increment of the brain level of acetylcho-line by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase.

• Natural Product Sciences
• /
• v.19 no.4
• /
• pp.324-328
• /
• 2013

Soy (Glycine max, family Leguminosae) contains isoflavones and saponins as main constituents. In our preliminary study, soybean ethanol extract (SE) ameliorated scopolamine-induced memory impairment in mice in the passive avoidance task. Therefore, to confirm its ameliorating effect for memory impairments, we measured its effect in scopolamine-induced memory-impaired mice in Morris water maze task. SE significantly prevented scopolamine-induced memory impairment in the Morris water maze task. SE also increased the swimming time within quadrant section of the platform on the day after the final training session test. SE protected the reduction of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression and cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) phosphorylation in the hippocampi of scopolamine-treated mice. However, SE did not inhibit acetylcholinesterase. To understand the possible role of soysaponins in memory impairments, we prepared soyasaponins-rich (butanol) fraction of soybean (SRF) and investigated its protective effect against in the passive avoidance and Morris water maze tasks. SRF ameliorated scopolamine-induced memory impairment in mice. The memory impairment-ameliorating effect of SRF was more effective than that of SE. Based on these findings, soybean may improve memory impairment by regulating CREB phosphorylation and BDNF expression.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.22 no.5
• /
• pp.467-473
• /
• 2014

The purpose of this study is to investigate the memory enhancing effect and underlying molecular mechanism of arabinoxylan (AX), a major component of dietary fiber in wheat against scopolamine (SCO)-induced amnesia in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Diverse behavior tests including Y-maze, Morris water maze, and passive avoidance tests were performed to measure cognitive functions. SCO significantly decreased the spontaneous alterations in Y-maze test and step-through latency in passive avoidance test, whereas increased time spent to find the hidden platform in Morris water maze test compared with the sham control group. In contrast, oral administration of AX (25 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg) effectively reversed the SCO-induced cognitive impairments in SD rats. Furthermore, AX treatment up-regulated the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the cortex and hippocampus via promoting activation of cAMP response element binding protein (CREB). Therefore, our findings suggest that AX can improve SCO-induced learning and memory impairment possibly through activation of CREB and up-regulation of BDNF levels, thereby exhibiting a cognition-enhancing potential.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.25 no.3
• /
• pp.431-437
• /
• 2011

Recently, there are so many studies that herbal composition has the effect on enhancing the memorial ability. But there are few studies whether it has effect on enhancing attentional ability. The purpose of present study is to prove the effects of a herbal composition(ChongA 100) on enhancing not only memorial but also attentional ability. The memorial ability interfered by amyloid-${\beta}$ was evaluated with passive avoidance test Y-maze task. The attentional ability was studied with attentional set-shifting task(ASST). The 200mg/kg of ChongA100 could significantly recover the shortened latency of passive avoidance test and the interfered alternation of Y-maze task. The number of trials in ASST was significantly reduced as well. Our study suggests that it has effects on enhancing both memorial and attentional ability.