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Prevention of age-associated neurodegeneration and promotion of healthy brain ageing in female Wistar rats by long term use of bacosides

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Abstract

Bacopa monnieri (L.), popularly known as Brahmi, is a revered Ayurvedic medicinal plant used as nerve tonic since time immemorial. The present study aims to investigate the neuroprotective effect of bacosides, the active saponins of Bacopa monnieri (L.) against age associated neurodegeneration and its impact over the prevention of Senile Dementia of Alzheimer’s Type (SDAT). The optimum dose of bacosides with no adverse effect was selected by screening its dose dependant activity on ageing biomarker lipofuscin and SDAT biomarker neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the aged female Wistar rat brain. The selected therapeutic dose of bacosides (200 mg/kg) was orally administered for 3 months in middle aged and aged rats and further investigated for its protective action against age associated alterations in neurotransmission system, behavioral paradigms, hippocampal neuronal loss and oxidative stress markers. The results of the present study suggest that bacosides may act as a potential therapeutic intervention in forestalling the deleterious effects of ageing and preventing the age associated pathologies like SDAT.

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Acknowledgment

We acknowledge the Vice Chancellor, SASTRA University for granting permission to carry out this work in Centre for Advanced Research in Indian System of Medicine (CARISM). We extend our thanks to Dr. Aabha Aggarwal, Scientist E, National Institute for Medical Statistics (NIMS), ICMR, New Delhi for statistical analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Advanced Research in Indian System of Medicine (CARISM), SASTRA University, Thanjavur, India

    Manisha Rastogi & Rudra P. Ojha

  2. Central Animal Facility (CAF), SASTRA University, Thanjavur, India

    P. C. Prabu

  3. Department of Pharmacy, School of Chemical and Biotechnology, SASTRA University, Thanjavur, India

    B. Parimala Devi

  4. Centre for Psychosomatic and Biofeedback Medicine, IMS, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India

    Aruna Agrawal

  5. Department of AYUSH, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, CCRAS, New Delhi, India

    G. P. Dubey

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  1. Manisha Rastogi
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  2. Rudra P. Ojha
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  3. P. C. Prabu
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  4. B. Parimala Devi
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  5. Aruna Agrawal
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  6. G. P. Dubey
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Correspondence to G. P. Dubey.

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Rastogi, M., Ojha, R.P., Prabu, P.C. et al. Prevention of age-associated neurodegeneration and promotion of healthy brain ageing in female Wistar rats by long term use of bacosides. Biogerontology 13, 183–195 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10522-011-9367-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10522-011-9367-y

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