NEURORESTORATIVE ROLE OF HYPERICUM HOOKERIANUM ETHANOLIC EXTRACT ON BRAIN TOTAL ANTIOXIDANT STATUS AND LIPID PEROXIDATION IN HALOPERIDOL INDUCED SCHIZOPHRENIA IN SWISS ALBINO MICE

Abstract

Schizophrenia is the result of alter ed cellular homeostasis by oxidativ e damage in brain which in turn involves in various forms of neurotoxicity including neuronal death. The ethanolic extract of aerial parts Hypericum hookerianum plant has long been used in traditional medicine and in folk treatment for various neurological ailments . The neuroprotective a nd neurorestorative effect of Hypericum hookerianum was attributed to its antioxidant activity. In the present study the antioxidant potential of Hypericum hookerianum was evaluated in haloperidol induced schizophrenic rat b rains. Swiss albino mice of either sex weighing 21 - 30 g were treated with haloperidol and also treated with Hypericum hookerianum. Oxidative stress was assessed by measuring the extent of lipid peroxidation, total protein content and also totals antioxidan t activity in mice brain. Haloperidol stress caused an alteration in oxidative stress markers with a significance increase in brain lipid peroxidation and decrease in total protein content and total antioxidant activities in b rai n homogenate of treated mic e. Hypericum hookerianum has significantly minimized the oxidative stress effects by significant decrease in lipid peroxidation level and also an incr ease in reduced protein level as well as total antioxidant activities. Results of the present study indica ted that Hypericum hookerianum has antioxidant potential against haloperidol - induced oxidative damage in mice brain.