'Rosmarinus officilnalis' is a plant used in Mediterranean diet and traditional medicine, possessing various antioxidant and cytoprotective bioactivities. In this study, we investigated the potential neuroprotective efficacy of aqueous Rosemary extract (AER) against neurotoxicity induced by Aluminum (Al), in terms of behavioral, biochemical and histological aspects in young rats. an intraperitoneal injection of Al, at the weekly dose of 60mg/Kg was given to the animals. A treatment of 150mg/Kg/day of AER was administered by gavage over periods of 6 or 12weeks. Al caused intense changes over time in body and brain weight, increase in neurological disorders such as depression, anxiety, and deficiency in memory skills. Results show also disturbances in locomotors activity, with a significant inhibition of AchE and increase LDH activity compared to control. Additionally, Al induced structural damages in the cerebral cortex, and the CA1 region of hippocampus. However, treatment with AER resulted in improved depression and anxiety state, locomotors activity and restored memory skills. Results show that AER increase the AchE activity and decreased neuronal loss in the cerebral cortex and the CA1 region of hippocampus with the 6weeks treatment but induced disruption and structural modification of brain tissue after the 12 weeks treatment. The Aqueous extract of Rosemary possess a neuroprotector and corrective effect against neurological alterations induced by Aluminum, but when administered over a long period of time, the extract can cause a no beneficial effect and morphologic modifications in cerebral tissue and behavior test. Keywords: Rosmarinus officinalis, Aluminum, neuro-behavior, brain structure.

The essential oil of Syzygium aromaticum has been widely used in traditional medicine to treat a variety of diseases, including some neurological disorders. This study aims at testing, in vivo, the possible anxiolytic and antidepressant effects, of the Syzygium aromaticum essential oil against chronic manganese chloride (4.79 mg/l) intoxication during the gestation and lactation period, in Wistar rat pups. Wistar rat pups were exposed to manganese via their dams’ drinking water from postnatal day (PND) 1 to (PND) 21. After their weaning, the rats exposed to manganese received injections of essential oil of Syzygium aromaticum (0.1 ml/kg) for 18 days. The level of anxiety, depression and locomotor activity were studied. Locomotor activity (open field test), anxiety (elevated plus maze tests), and depression (forced swimming test) were evaluated. The results of the present study indicate that Manganese exposure induces, on the one hand, impairments of body (p<0.001) and of brain weight (p<0.05). On the other hand, it increases level of anxiety (p<0.05), depression (p<0.001) and locomotor hyporactivity (p<0.001), when compared to control rats. Administration of essential oil of Syzygium aromaticum leads to a reduction in the level of anxiety (p<0.05), of depression (p<0.001) and corrects locomotor hyporactivity (p<0.05) in rats exposed to manganese beforehand. These results suggest that essential oil of Syzygium aromaticum can employ as a natural, protective agent against neuro-toxicity induced by manganese chloride during the gestation and lactation periods.