Introduction:
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder leading to dementia and cognitive impairment. Current treatment modalities of AD do not cure the disease completely, rather it only slows the progression and are associated with numerous adverse effects. Nyctanthes arbor-tristis L. is an ornamental shrub having various medicinal properties such as analgesic, hepatoprotective, anti-arthritis, antidiabetic, and immunomodulatory effects.
Methodology:
The present study was carried out using ethanolic extract of the leaves of N. arbor-tristis L. (NALE) plant. About 36 albino Wistar rats were taken and divided into six groups containing six rats each. Group I was the normal control (rats received normal diet), group II rats were positive control (received aluminum chloride), group III rats were standard control group (received donepezil), while groups IV, V, and VI were test treatment control groups (received varying doses of NALE extract). Behavioral assessment was done by four procedures, namely Morris water maze test, locomotor test, passive avoidance, and elevated plus maze test.
Results:
The NALE treatment group showed a significant improvement in behavioral parameters and was comparable with standard group.
Conclusion:
Nyctanthes showed neuroprotective and cytoprotective effects by decreasing acetylcholinesterase activity and reducing oxidative stress. Hence, it is postulated that this product can be useful for the treatment of AD.