Antiamnesic Potential of <i>Coccinia indica</i> (Linn.) Extract: A Mechanism Based Study

Abstract

Coccinia indica Linn., a well explored traditional edible medicinal plant of North East region of India, is routinely used as folkloric medicine to treat neurological disorders associated with cognitive dysfunction. The objective of the study was to evaluate the antiamnesic activity of Coccinia indica fruit extract. Antiamnesic activity of Coccinia indica was studied in Elevated plus maze and Y-maze against scopolamine induced amnesia. Moreover, we studied the influence of Coccinia indica extract on whole brain acetyl cholinesterase enzyme. Ethanolic extracts of Coccinia indica (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight) were administered to healthy adult Wistar rats for successive seven days and acquisition, retention and retrieval of spatial recognition memory was determined against scopolamine (1 mg/kg, i.p.) induced amnesia in-vivo. Further, whole brain acetylcholinesterase was estimated as per Elman’s method. Pre-treatment with Coccinia indica ethanolic extract significantly improved spatial learning and memory and decreased rat brain acetyl cholinesterase activity in a dose dependent manner and comparable with standard drug Donepezil. The results indicate that ethanolic extract of Coccinia indica might be a useful as natural source of antiamnesic drug to improve learning and memory deficit associated symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer’s patients.