No abstract

Honey has shown potential therapeutic properties in traditional medicine. This study investigated the cognition enhancing potential of Tualang honey in chronic cerebral hypoperfusion-induced neurodegeneration by permanent bilateral common carotid arteries ligation (2 vessels occlusion-2VO) in rats. Previous studies have shown that rats subjected to 2VO (2 vessel occlusion) experienced cognitive deficits, oxidative stress and neuronal injury in the hippocampus of the brain. We studied the effect of Tualang honey on learning and memory using the Morris water maze (MWM) in rats. Rats were randomly divided into four groups (n=10); Sham control, untreated 2VO (2VO), honey treated 2VO (2VO+H) and honey treated group (H). Each group was again divided into two subgroups (n=5): one for long term memory assessment and another for short term memory and relearning tasks. After 10 weeks of treatment, all rat groups were tested for cognitive assessment by MWM (Morris water maze). 2VO+H rats had better spatial learning and memory performance than untreated 2VO rats in MWM tasks (p<0.05). However, there was no significant difference between Sham rats and H group rats (p>0.05). This study shows that Malaysian Tualang honey might have therapeutic potential for the treatment of chronic cerebral hypoperfusion related neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) in which cognitive impairment is profound.

Objective: The aims of this study were to investigate the adverse effects of the high-fat-diet (HFD) on the testosterone level and testicular structure of male rats as well as to examine whether Eurycoma Longifolia (EL) is able to ameliorate these effects. Methods: Twenty-four male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were divided into four groups each containing 6 rats. Group ND was given only normal diet, group NDEL was given normal diet and EL extracts (15 mg/ kg) dissolved in distilled water, group HFD was given only high-fat-diet and group HFDEL was given high-fat-diet and EL extracts (15 mg/kg). EL was administered orally for 12 weeks. The animal's testosterone level was measured at week 0, 6 and 12. The rats were sacrificed at the end of 12 th weeks and the testes samples were processed for histological examination Results: The testosterone level was significantly increased (p < 0.05) in the in the treated rats with EL (NDEL and HFDEL) compared with ND and HFD groups. Treatment with HFD revealed a marked degeneration of the seminiferous tubule epithelium and disruption of interstitial cells of the testis thereby interfering with spermatogenesis. Treatment of HFD rats with El reduced the adverse effects of HFD and improved the morphological structure of the seminiferous tubules. Conclusion: These findings revealed that EL has ameliorative effects against the testicular damage caused by high-fat-diet.

Introduction: Virgin coconut oil (VCO) is known for its health and therapeutic benefits. However, the immunomodulatory effects of VCO have not been extensively investigated. Objective: The present study was devoted to examining the effects of VCO on cyclophosphamide (CY)-induced toxicity of lymphoid tissues. Methods: Thirty healthy male Wistar rats were sorted into 5 groups of 6 animals. The first control (NC) group was given distilled water via gavage at 5 ml/kg once daily. The second (CY) group received CY orally at 10 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks. Rats in the other three groups (CV5, CV10, and CV15) were given 10 mg/kg/day CY for 4 weeks, 5 m/kg/day, 10 ml/kg/day and 15 ml/kg/day VCO for 6 weeks, respectively. Rats were sacrificed at the end of 6th week; blood sample from the animals was collected for full blood count and biochemical analysis. The thymus and spleen of each animal was processed for histological examination. Results: The thymus and spleen showed marked reduction in lymphoid cellularity following daily administration of CY. The thymus also showed a marked reduction in the size of the medulla, and the white pulp areas of spleen had reduction in the follicle number and size. Supplementation with 10 ml/kg and 15 ml/kg VCO showed evidence of restoration of both the thymus and splenic lymphoid architecture. The total white cell counts, absolute lymphocyte counts and plasma globulin levels of the VCO groups were significantly increased compared to CY group. Conclusion: VCO displayed potential protective effects on CYinduced histological changes in lymphoid tissues.

Objective: Tamarind (Tamarindus indica) has been used as a medical plant for treating many human and animal diseases and widely used as a traditional herbal medicine for the treatment of snake bites. The objective of the study is to investigate whether tamarind seed extract (TSE) has neutralization activity on an adverse histological reaction against venoms of the King Cobra.Methods: A total of 20 healthy mature male mice were randomly divided into 4 groups with 5 mice in each. The control group was injected with 1 ml of normal saline. The second group was injected subcutaneously with a single dose of 24.96 μg/20 g King Cobra venom (KCV) solution. The third group was injected with the same dose of KCV solution and 10 mg/20 g of TSE. The fourth group was injected with the same dose of KCV solution and 15 mg/20 g TSE solution. The animals were sacrificed after 24 hrs of injection of the solution. Fragments of muscle, kidney, and liver were fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin and processed for light microscopical studies.Results: The result showed that TSE reduced the histopathological changes induced by the KCV in the muscles, livers, and kidneys, and the improvement was proportional to the applied dose of the TSE indicating that TSE prevents adverse histological changes in the muscle, liver, and kidney.Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that TSE reduced the histopathological changes in the muscle, liver, and kidney induced by KCV in mice.