Abstract
Asiatic acid is a pentacyclic triterpene from Centella asiatica. Previous studies have reported that asiatic acid exhibits antioxidant and neuroprotective activities in cell culture. It also prevents memory deficits in animal models. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between spatial working memory and changes in cell proliferation within the hippocampus after administration of asiatic acid to male Spraque-Dawley rats. Control rats received vehicle (propylene glycol) while treated rats received asiatic acid (30 mg/kg) orally for 14 or 28 days. Spatial memory was determined using the novel object location (NOL) test. In animals administered asiatic acid for both 14 and 28 days, the number of Ki-67 positive cells in the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus was significantly higher than in control animals. This was associated with a significant increase in their ability to discriminate between novel and familiar object locations in a novel object discrimination task, a hippocampus-dependent spatial memory test. Administration of asiatic acid also significantly increased doublecortin (DCX) and Notch1 protein levels in the hippocampus. These findings demonstrate that asiatic acid treatment may be a potent cognitive enhancer which improves hippocampal-dependent spatial memory, likely by increasing hippocampal neurogenesis.
Highlights
Asiatic acid, one of the major components of Centella asiatica (L.) Urban [1], is a tropical medicinal plant from the Apiaceae family local to Southeast Asian countries including India, China, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Thailand [2,3,4]
Centella asiatica is regarded as an essential herb in Ayuveda and is believed to improve learning and memory [5]
The present study aims to investigate the effect of this compound on spatial working memory using the novel object location (NOL) behavioral test
Summary
One of the major components of Centella asiatica (L.) Urban [1], is a tropical medicinal plant from the Apiaceae family local to Southeast Asian countries including India, China, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Thailand [2,3,4]. Centella asiatica is regarded as an essential herb in Ayuveda and is believed to improve learning and memory [5]. An active component of C. asiatica, is a triterpenoid, with reported neuroprotective activity both in vitro and in vivo [6,7,8]. 30 mg/kg of asiatic acid significantly improves learning and memory in rats through modulation of the cholinergic and GABAergic systems [3]. It has been found to reduce infarct volume in animal models of stroke [8]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
