The effects of sesquiterpenes-rich extract of Alpinia oxyphylla Miq. on amyloid-β-induced cognitive impairment and neuronal abnormalities in the cortex and hippocampus of mice.

Abstract

As a kind of medicine which can also be used as food, Alpinia oxyphylla Miq. has a long clinical history in China. A variety of studies demonstrated the significant neuroprotective activity effects of chloroform (CF) extract from the fruits of Alpinia oxyphylla. In order to further elucidate the possible mechanisms of CF extract which mainly contains sesquiterpenes with neuroprotection on the cognitive ability, mice were injected with Aβ(1-42) and later with CF in this study. The results showed that the long-term treatment of CF enhanced the cognitive performances in behavior tests, increased activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-px) and decreased the level of malondialdehyde (MDA), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and amyloid-β (Aβ), and reversed the activation of microglia, degeneration of neuronal acidophilia, and nuclear condensation in the cortex and hippocampus. These results demonstrate that CF ameliorates learning and memory deficits by attenuating oxidative stress and regulating the activation of microglia and degeneration of neuronal acidophilia to reinforce cholinergic functions.

• Authors: Shao-Huai Shi, Xu Zhao, Bing Liu, Huan Li, Ai-Jing Liu, Bo Wu, Kai-Shun Bi, Ying Jia
• Journal: Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity (Oxid Med Cell Longev) Vol. 2014 Pg. 451802 ( 2014) ISSN: 1942-0994 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 25180067 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Amyloid beta-Peptides
• Peptide Fragments
• Plant Extracts
• Sesquiterpenes
• amyloid beta-protein (1-42)
• Malondialdehyde
• Glutathione Peroxidase
• Acetylcholinesterase
• Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases

Topics

• Acetylcholinesterase (metabolism)
• Alpinia (chemistry, metabolism)
• Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases (metabolism)
• Amyloid beta-Peptides (toxicity)
• Animals
• Behavior, Animal (drug effects)
• Cerebral Cortex (drug effects, metabolism, pathology)
• Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
• Cognition Disorders (chemically induced, drug therapy, physiopathology)
• Glutathione Peroxidase (metabolism)
• Hippocampus (drug effects, metabolism, pathology)
• Male
• Malondialdehyde (metabolism)
• Maze Learning (drug effects)
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred ICR
• Peptide Fragments (toxicity)
• Plant Extracts (analysis, chemistry)
• Sesquiterpenes (chemistry, pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization