Ameliorative Treatment with Ellagic Acid in Scopolamine Induced Alzheimer’s Type Memory and Cognitive Dysfunctions in Rats

Objective: To determine neuroprotective effects of Ellagic acid (EA) as a preventive herbal drug to impede cholinergic dysfunctions and oxidative stress in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in scopolamine induced Alzheimer’s type dementia in rats. Methodology: Alzheimer’s type dementia was induced by intraperitoneal injection of scopolamine (0.7 mg/kg, i.p.) to rats for period of 7 days. EA (25 mg/kg or 50 mg/kg, p.o.) or Donepezil (0.5 mg/kg, p.o.) alone was treated for 6 days and then scopolamine (0.7 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered together with EA or Donepezil for another 7 days. Memory-related behavioral parameters were evaluated using the elevated plus maze (EPM) once a day for 2 consecutive days and Morris water maze (MWM) once a day for 5 consecutive days. At the end of protocol schedule i.e day 14, biochemical parameters were estimated. AChE, MDA, GSH, catalase and SOD to evaluate the neuroprotective action of EA via AChE inhibition and antioxidant activity. Result: Scopolamine treatment increased the transfer latency in EPM, escape latency time and shortened time spent in the target quadrant in MWM; these effects were reversed by EA. Scopolamine-mediated changes in malondialdehyde (MDA) and AChE activity were significantly attenuated by EA in rats. Recovery of antioxidant capacities, including reduced glutathione (GSH) content, and the activities of SOD and catalase was also evident in EA treated rats. Conclusion: The present findings sufficiently encourage that EA has a preventive properties. Although EA was found to be less effective than Donepezil, but few modification in pharmaceutical properties it can be an efficient phytochemical for Alzheimer type dementia. The EA can be used to prevent cholinergic dysfunctions and oxidative stress associated with Alzheimer type dementia.