Evaluation of neuroprotective activity of Bougainvillea glabra leaves extract on experimentally induced neurotoxicity in albino rats

Abstract

Nowadays, owing to medicinal plants as a candidate to obtain promising new medicinal agents, there is a renewed interest in the use of these natural sources for drug development. In the present study, we aimed to assess the neuroprotective effect of ethanolic extract of Bougainvillea glabra leaves against 3Nitropropionic acid induced neurotoxic rats. The extract of Bougainvillea glabra leaves in two doses (150 and 300mg/kg) were administered daily for eight successive days to albino rats of either sex. 3Nitropropionic acid (10mg/kg, i.p.) was used to induce neurotoxicity in rats. Elevated plus maze test for special memory, Rota-rod performance assessment for motor coordination and Neurochemical measurements were employed to evaluate learning and memory parameters using Piracetam (200mg/kg, i.p.) as a standard nootropic agent. During treatment psychopharmacological parameters were recorded, 24 hours after experiment antioxidant profiles from brain isolate were estimated and histopathology of brain was performed. These results suggest that ethanolic extract significantly attenuated behavioral alterations, oxidative damage, mitochondrial dysfunction, and striatal/hippocampus damage in 3-Nitropropionic acid treated rats. Ethanolic extract of Bougainvillea glabra leaves might prove to be a useful memory restorative agent in treatment of dementia seen in elderly.