Abstract
This study examined the modulatory effect of Black nightshade (Solanum nigrum L) and African eggplant (Solanum macrocarpon L) leaves on cognitive function, antioxidant status, and activities of critical enzymes of monoaminergic and cholinergic systems of neurotransmission in scopolamine‐administered rats. Cognitive impairment was induced in albino rats pretreated with dietary inclusions of Black nightshade (BN) and African eggplant (AE) leaves by single administration (i.p.) of scopolamine (2 mg/kg body weight). Prior to termination of the experiment, the rats were subjected to spontaneous alternation (Y‐maze) test to assess their spatial working memory. Thereafter, activities of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), monoamine oxidase (MAO), arginase, and antioxidant enzymes (catalase, SOD, and GST) of rat brain homogenate were determined. Also, the malondialdehyde (MDA), nitrite, and GSH contents of the homogenate were determined. The results showed that pretreatment with dietary inclusions of AE and BN significantly reversed the impairment in the rats’ spatial working memory induced by scopolamine. Similarly, elevations in activities of AChE, BChE, and MAO induced by scopolamine were significantly reversed in rats pretreated with dietary inclusions of AE and BN. In addition, impaired antioxidant status induced by scopolamine was reversed by pretreatment with dietary inclusions of AE and BN. This study has shown that dietary inclusions of AE and BN could protect against cognitive and neurochemical impairments induced by scopolamine, and hence, these vegetables could be used as a source of functional foods and nutraceuticals for the prevention and management of cognitive impairments associated diseases such as Alzheimer's disease.
Highlights
Several medicinal foods abound in traditional medicine with neuroprotective potentials that could be of importance in the management of several neurodegenerative diseases but with little or no scientific justification to substantiate their use
Chemicals and reagents used such as semicarbazide, benzylamine, acetylthiocholine iodide, and scopolamine were procured from Sigma-Aldrich, Inc. (St Louis, MO); trichloroacetic acid (TCA) was sourced from Sigma-Aldrich, Chemie GmbH (Steinheim, Germany); 2,4-d initrophenyl hydrazine (DNPH) from ACROS Organics (New Jersey, USA), methanol and acetic acid were sourced from BDH Chemicals Ltd. (Poole, England)
Investigations in this study commenced by assessing the effect of pretreatment with dietary inclusions of African eggplant (AE) and Black nightshade (BN) leaves of spatial working memory in scopolamine-induced cognitive impaired rats monitored via the spontaneous alternation (Y-maze) behavioral test
Summary
Several medicinal foods abound in traditional medicine with neuroprotective potentials that could be of importance in the management of several neurodegenerative diseases but with little or no scientific justification to substantiate their use. Attention is being shifted to exploring natural plant products which can offer neuroprotective properties either acting singly (Oboh et al, 2017), or enhancing the therapeutic properties of conventional anti-Alzheimer’s drugs (Ogunsuyi, Adeoyo, & Oboh, 2017) In this regard, green leafy vegetables with medicinal properties have shown good potentials in both in vitro (Nwanna et al, 2016; Oboh et al, 2016) and in vivo studies (Baradaran, Rabiei, Rafieian, & Shirzad, 2012). It is believed that findings from this study will be useful in dietary intervention and development of nutraceuticals for the management of cognitive dysfunction-associated diseases especially AD
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