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Ocimum basilicum improve chronic stress-induced neurodegenerative changes in mice hippocampus

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Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), one of the progressive neurodegenerative diseases might be associated with exposure to stress and altered living conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Ocimum basilicum (OB) essential oils in improving the neurodegenerative-like changes induced in mice after exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). Forty male Swiss albino mice divided into four groups (n = 10); the control, CUMS, CUMS + Fluoxetine, CUMS + OB were used. Behavioral tests, serum corticosterone level, hippocampus protein level of the glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) and brain-dreived neurotropic factor (BDNF) were determined after exposure to CUMS. Hippocampus was histopathologically examined. Data were analyzed using statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) and P value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. OB diminished the depression manifestation as well as impaired short term memory observed in the mice after exposure to the CUMS as evidenced by the forced swimming and elevated plus maze test. OB also up-regulated the serum corticosterone level, hippocampal protein level of the glucocorticoid receptor and the brain-derived neurotropic factor and reduced the neurodegenerative and atrophic changes induced in the hippocampus after exposure to CUMS. Essential oils of OB alleviated the memory impairment and hippocampal neurodegenerative changes induced by exposure to the chronic unpredictable stress indicating that it is the time to test its effectiveness on patients suffering from Alzheimer disease.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Yousef Abdullatif Jameel, Chair of Prophetic Medical Applications (YAJCPMA), Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for his support to this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Anatomy department, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

    Nasra Naeim Ayuob & Soad Shaker Ali

  2. Department of Histology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt

    Nasra Naeim Ayuob

  3. Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Al Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt

    Manal Galal Abd El Wahab

  4. Department of Basic Sciences, Nursing College, King Saud Bin Abd El Aziz University, National guard, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

    Manal Galal Abd El Wahab

  5. Yousef Abdullatif Jameel, Chair of Prophetic Medical Applications (YAJCPMA), Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

    Manal Galal Abd El Wahab

  6. Histology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Assuit University, Assiut, Egypt

    Soad Shaker Ali

  7. Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt

    Hanem Saad Abdel-Tawab

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  1. Nasra Naeim Ayuob
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  2. Manal Galal Abd El Wahab
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Correspondence to Nasra Naeim Ayuob.

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Ayuob, N.N., El Wahab, M.G.A., Ali, S.S. et al. Ocimum basilicum improve chronic stress-induced neurodegenerative changes in mice hippocampus. Metab Brain Dis 33, 795–804 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11011-017-0173-3

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