Neuroprotective Potential of Indian Propolis and in Combination with Curcumin against Bilateral Common Carotid Artery Occlusion Induced Vascular Dementia in Rats

Abstract

Vascular dementia (VaD) is associated with chronic brain ischemia and gradual memory loss which is increasing gradually but limited treatments are available as therapeutic moieties to combat the VaD. Hence in this study Indian propolis alone or in combination with curcumin was explored as a treatment modality to alleviate the VaD. VaD model was induced by bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO). Indian propolis (200 mg/kg), curcumin (200 mg/kg) individually, and the combination of Indian propolis (100 mg/kg) with curcumin (100 mg/kg) were administered in BCCAO model followed by an estimation of behavioral (neurological score, hanging and open field test) and biochemical parameters (reduced glutathione, catalase, malondialdehyde, and acetylcholine esterase). In this study it was found that there were no changes in the locomotor activity while the neurological score was reduced and the hanging time was increased in the drug treated group which clearly depicts the neuroprotective potential of curcumin, Indian propolis individually and the combination of Indian propolis with curcumin. The combination of Indian propolis with curcumin was much better in terms of neuroprotective activity than Indian propolis and curcumin treated group as depicted by the results of behavioural and biochemical parameters. Moreover, haematoxylin and eosin (H and E) staining was performed, and was found that a combination of Indian propolis(100 mg/kg) with curcumin (100 mg/kg) attenuated better histological alterations of the hippocampus in BCCAO model group than in other treated groups. Hence these findings provided that Indian propolis in combination with curcumin has great potential as a neuroprotective agent on the cognitive deficits of VaD rats.