Rosmarinus officinalis Essential Oil Improves Scopolamine-Induced Neurobehavioral Changes via Restoration of Cholinergic Function and Brain Antioxidant Status in Zebrafish (Danio rerio).

Luminita Capatina,Gabriela Dumitru,Lucian Hritcu,Giuseppe Ruberto,Razvan Stefan Boiangiu,Edoardo Marco Napoli,Elena Todirascu-Ciornea

doi:10.3390/antiox9010062

Abstract

Rosmarinus officinalis L. is a traditional herb with various therapeutic applications such as antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidepressant, and anticholinesterase activities, and can be used for the prevention or treatment of dementia. In the present study, we tested whether Rosmarinus officinalis L. could counteract scopolamine-induced anxiety, dementia, and brain oxidative stress in the zebrafish model and tried to find the underlying mechanism. Rosmarinus officinalis L. essential oil (REO: 25, 150, and 300 µL/L) was administered by immersion to zebrafish (Danio rerio) once daily for eight days while scopolamine (100 µM) treatment was delivered 30 min before behavioral tests. The antidepressant and cognitive-enhancing actions of the essential oil in the scopolamine zebrafish model was measured in the novel tank diving test (NTT) and Y-maze test. The chemical composition was identified by Gas chromatograph–Mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The brain oxidative status and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity was also determined. REO reversed scopolamine-induced anxiety, memory impairment, and brain oxidative stress. In addition, a reduced brain AChE activity following the administration of REO in scopolamine-treated fish was observed. In conclusion, REO exerted antidepressant-like effect and cognitive-enhancing action and was able to abolish AChE alteration and brain oxidative stress induced by scopolamine.

Highlights

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, affecting the cerebral cortex and hippocampus, leading to memory impairment
Among various descriptive hypotheses regarding the cause of AD, the cholinergic hypothesis was the first proposed to explain AD based on the findings that a loss of cholinergic activity is commonly observed in the brains of AD patients [1]
Despite extensive knowledge about the effects of various Rosmarinus officinalis extracts anxiety, and AChE activity in first the rodent brain, we demonstratedanxiolytic, for the firstand activity in on thememory, rodent brain, we demonstrated for the time the cognitive-enhancing, time the cognitive-enhancing, anxiolytic, and antioxidant profileFurthermore, of Rosmarinus officinalis L. essential oil (REO) in the scopolamine zebrafish antioxidant profile of REO in the scopolamine zebrafish model

Summary

Introduction

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, affecting the cerebral cortex and hippocampus, leading to memory impairment. Among various descriptive hypotheses regarding the cause of AD, the cholinergic hypothesis was the first proposed to explain AD based on the findings that a loss of cholinergic activity is commonly observed in the brains of AD patients [1]. This theory implied utilizing acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs), which reversed memory deficits in AD patients. AChEIs could diminish memory impairment in AD patients by inhibiting the degradation of acetylcholine [3]. For the treatment of mild to moderate AD, three AChEIs are used: donepezil, rivastigmine, and galantamine [4]

Methods

Results

Conclusion