Neuropsychopharmacological profile of Astragalus membranaceous var.mongholicus

Objective:To clarify the neuropharmacological profile of the Mongolian vetch,Astragalus mongholicus(Astragalus membranaceous var.mongholicus;synonym:A.mongholicus),extracts were evaluated for behavioral effects in rats and mice.Methods:An aqueous extract of A.mongholicus was made by boiling roots from freshlycollected plants in 2.5 volumes(w/v)of water for 60 minutes.An ethanol extract was made by incubating in 70%ethanol for 5 days at 25
C.Effects of the aqueous extracts were evaluated in a forced swimming assessment of antidepressant effects,a hole-board test of exploratory behavior,an analysis of inhibition of aggression following electrical stimulation and influences on amnesia resulting from electroshock.Furthermore,effects of ethanol extracts of A.mongholicus were assessed on L-tryptophan induced twitches(indicating serotonin-mediated effects)and on hypothermia induced by apomorphine(indicating dopamine-mediated interactions)in mice.Results:Per os(PO)administration of the aqueous decoction of the vetch to rats increased the response in a forced swimming test as reflected in wheel rotations.However,the decoction had no significant effect on the exploratory behavior of rats in the hole-board test.Acute PO administration of the aqueous extract of A.mongholicus decreased the threshold for aggressive behavior and this effect persisted with subchronic administration.Chronic administration of the plant extract suppressed aggression of rats.An ethanol extract of A.mongholicus showed an antiserotoninergic action and had a significant influence on the hypothermia induced by apomorphine.Conclusion:A.mongholicus has a variety of potent psychotropic actions,suggesting influences on diverse neurotransmitter systems.

Nootropic Activity of <i>Caralluma fimbriata</i>Extract in Mice

We investigated the effects of a standardized extract of Caralluma fimbriata Wall (CFE) on learning and memory in mice using various behavioural models. Unusually, CFE exerts both nootropic and anxiolytic effects.

A New Generation of Drugs: Synthetic Peptides Based on Natural Regulatory Peptides

Natural regulatory peptides are biologically active compounds that are produced by various cells and provide a link among the main regulatory systems of the body. The field of research into the biologic activity of endogenous regulatory peptides is extremely vast. These peptides affect the cardiovascular, immune, reproductive, endocrine, digestive, and other systems, alter energy metabolism, and are especially effective in the regulation of the central nervous system. Despite of the wide range of preventive and therapeutic effects of natural regulatory peptides and proteins, their application in clinical practice is difficult. This is primarily because of their extreme instability, as they are rapidly degraded by proteases of the gastrointestinal tract, blood, cerebrospinal fluid, and other biologic media. Compounds with higher stability (i.e., a considerably longer half-life compared with that of natural molecules) and the ability to provide a directional effect on the various body systems were obtained from modifications of endogenous regulatory peptides. Synthetic analogs of regulatory peptides, as a rule, contain only natural amino acids in their composition, and their biodegradation does not lead to the formation of toxic products;thus, they have fewer side effects. This review focuses on the consideration of two synthetic regulatory peptides, Semax and Selank, which were the bases for the creation of new drugs that are used effectively in the treatment of various diseases of the nervous system. The synthetic analog of an adrenocorticotropic hormone 4-10 fragment (ACTH4-10) Semax is a powerful neuroprotective agent that is particularly effective as a therapy for stroke. Selank was synthesized on the basis of the natural immunomodulator tuftsin. Selank is a powerful anxiolytic that is used as a therapy for generalized anxiety disorder and neurasthenia without sedative and muscle-relaxant effects. This review presents the results of research aimed at studying the influence of these peptides on the transcriptome of brain cells. The problems of drugs developed based on the clinical activities of Semax and Selank are discussed separately.

Analyzing Nootropic Effect of Phyllanthus reticulatus Poir. on Cognitive Functions, Brain Antioxidant Enzymes and Acetylcholinesterase Activity against Aluminium-Induced Alzheimer’s Model in Rats: Applicable for Controlling the Risk Factors of Alzheimer’s Disease

Oxidative stress is intensely linked with neurodegenerative disorders, especially Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Searching for medicinal plant with the nootropic activity for controling the development and progression of AD has received extensive consideration. The plant Phyllanthus reticulatus (PR) Poir. is known in Bengali as Panjuli belongs to family Euphorbiaceae. Previous studies have shown the antioxidant, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, etc. activities of this plant. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the nootropic effect of ethanolic extracts of Phyllanthus reticulatus (EEPR) on cognitive functions, brain antioxidatant enzymes and acetylcholinesterase activity in aluminium-induced rats of cognitive impairment and oxidative stress. The effects of EEPR fruit (i.e., 100 and 200 mg/kg b.w.) were examined for 30 days and its nootropic effect was determined in aluminium treated Swiss albino male rats by behavioral studies such as Passive Avoidance (PA) test, Rewarded Alternation (RA) test and biochemical studies such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), contents of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in rats brain tissue homogenates. In PA test, administration of EEPR fruit (i.e., 100 and 200 mg/kg, b.w.) significantly (P < 0.05, P < 0.01) increased step-through latency (STL) in rats on 30th day with respect to disease control group. The percentage of memory retention (MR) for this test was pointedly (P < 0.05) increased in rats treated with EEPR fruit (i.e., 200 mg/kg b.w.) as compared with disease control group. For RA test, EEPR fruit (i.e., 200 mg/kg b.w.) markedly (P < 0.01) increased the correct responses (CR) in rats on 30th day related to disease control group. In case of this test the percentage of MR was significantly (P < 0.05, P < 0.01) increased in rats treated with EEPR fruit (i.e., 100 and 200 mg/kg b.w.) with respect to disease control group. Administration of EEPR fruit (i.e., 100 and 200 mg/kg b.w.) considerably (P < 0.05, P < 0.01) increased the level of SOD, CAT and expressively (P < 0.05) decreased TBARS level compared to disease control group. Treatment with EEPR fruit (i.e., 100 and 200 mg/kg b.w.) markedly (P < 0.05, P < 0.01) decreased the level of AChE activity to that of disease control group. The present study shows that EEPR fruit has excellent nootropic effect on cognitive performance and brain antioxidant markers in aluminium-induced rats of cognitive impairment and oxidative stress which could be developed in the management of neurodegenerative diseases especially AD.

New Achievements in Ginseng Research and Its Future Prospects

In recent decades,scientists in Asian and Western countries have been paying great attention to ginseng research.Today,more than 200 ginsenosides and non-saponin constituents have been isolated and identified.Ginsenosides show biological activities only after being deglycosylated by intestinal bacteria.Aglycone protopanaxadiol and protopanaxatriol show the highest bioactivities.According to literature,the noticeable action of ginseng is that of delaying aging and especially increasing the nootropic effect,a...

Identification and Evaluation of a Panel of Ginsenosides from Different Red Ginseng Extracts with Nootropic Effect

Red ginseng has been gradually discovered to have pharmacological and physiological effects. It is well known that the most important bioactive components of ginseng are ginsenosides. The nootropic effect of ginsenosides from nine different red ginseng extracts was evaluated here. Nine groups of mice were perfused with different concentrations of nine red ginseng extracts, respectively, and two groups of mice with distilled water. The nootropic effect of ginsenosides on mice was evaluated with behavior tests and a biochemical indicator study. The extracts were identified by rapid resolution liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry（RRLC-Q-TOF-MS）. Furthermore, principal component analysis（PCA） was used to analyze the contribution of chemical components from different ginseng groups. The extracts with the most and the weakest effective nootropic were found. It is notable that extract processing is a very important factor to decide pharmacological functions of ginseng extracts. As a conclusion, the most effective extract method for ginsenosides has been found. A panel of 13 ginsenosides has been screened out as chemical markers with nootropic effect, which include high level ginsenosides Ra0, Rb1, Rc, Rb2, Rb3, Re, Rd, and Rgl and low level ginsenosides mRb1, mRc, mRb2, mRd, and F2. Low level ginsenosides were first time to be discovered as possible nootropic compounds. This method may shed light on fast discovery of bioactive compounds of medicinal plants with low level compounds.