Neuroprotective Effects of Euonymus alatus Extract on Scopolamine-Induced Memory Deficits in Mice

Abstract

Euonymus alatus is considered to elicit various beneficial effects against cancer, hyperglycemia, menstrual discomfort, diabetic complications, and detoxification. The young leaves of this plant are exploited as food and also utilized for traditional medicine in East Asian countries, including Korea and China. Our preliminary study demonstrated that ethanolic extract from the Euonymus alatus leaf (EAE) exhibited the strongest antioxidant enzyme-inducing activity among more than 100 kinds of edible tree leaf extracts. This study investigated whether EAE could attenuate the cognitive deficits caused by oxidative stress in mice. Oral intubation of EAE at 100 mg/kg bw or higher resulted in significant improvements to the memory and behavioral impairment induced via i.p. injection of scopolamine. Furthermore, EAE enhanced the expression levels of hippocampal neurotrophic factors such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor in mice, activated the Nrf2, and the downstream heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) a quintessential antioxidant enzyme. As rutin (quercetin-3-O-rutinose) was abundantly present in EAE and free quercetin was able to induce defensive antioxidant enzymes in an Nrf2-dependent manner, our findings suggested that quercetin derived from rutin via the intestinal microflora played a significant role in the protection of the mouse hippocampus from scopolamine-induced damage through BDNF-mediated Nrf2 activation, thereby dampening cognitive decline.

Ameliorative Effects of Rhoifolin in Scopolamine-Induced Amnesic Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Model

“…Besides the behavioral impairment, Sco-induced amnesic zebrafish could mimic the oxidative stress event of AD development, although its exact oxidative damage mechanism is uncertain [ 39 ]. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a transcription factor that activates the pathways of endogenous antioxidant defense and the production of the antioxidant enzymes [ 4 , 40 ]. Kanninen et al [ 41 ] showed that attenuation of the Nrf2-ARE pathway coincided with disease progression in APdE9 transgenic mice modeling AD.…”

Betulinic Acid Alleviates Spleen Oxidative Damage Induced by Acute Intraperitoneal Exposure to T-2 Toxin by Activating Nrf2 and Inhibiting MAPK Signaling Pathways

“…The supernatant was collected to estimate the antioxidative ability. MDA, a marker of lipid peroxidation, was detected following the thiobarbituric acid method [ 27 ]. The GSH level was detected using the dithiodinitrobenzoic acid method, SOD activity was assayed using the xanthine oxidase method, and T-AOC was determined using the colorimetric method, and all indexes were detected following the manufacturer’s protocols [ 25 ].…”

Analysis of the physical properties of spindle seeds for seed sorting operations

“…The seeds and stems of some spindle species are a source of biologically active substances such as diterpenes, triterpenes, sesquiterpenes, cardiac glycosides, lectins, alkaloids and squalene 17 – 21 . Tinctures made of spindle seeds have antioxidant, antibacterial and insecticidal properties, and they are used for detoxification and in the treatment of cancer, hyperglycemia, menstrual discomfort, diabetic complications, and dermatological diseases 16 , 17 , 21 – 23 .…”