Cnidoscolus aconitifolius-supplemented diet enhanced neurocognition, endogenous antioxidants and cholinergic system and maintains hippocampal neuronal integrity in male Wistar rats

Abstract

Objectives: Cnidoscolus aconitifolius have been investigated to have abundant phytochemicals. However, study on the effect of Cnidoscolus aconitifolius on neurobehavioral performance when supplemented with diet is lacking. The study is aimed at investigating the memory-enhancing effect of Cnidoscolus aconitifolius-supplemented diet (CAD) using Morris water maze and Novel object recognition test. Methods: Ninety male Wistar rats (80–100 g) were fed with CAD (1, 2.5, 5 and 10%) continuously for a period of 4, 8 and 12 weeks respectively. Six animals per group were used for assessment of memory performance (Morris water maze [MWM] and Novel object recognition test [NORT]); afterwards the brain tissues were harvested for malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH) and catalase (CAT) estimation. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) concentration was also determined. Hippocampal architectural change in the neuron was examined using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and cresyl fast violet (Nissl) stain. Results: Higher percentage of CAD significantly (pCornu Ammonis 3 (CA3) region. Conclusions: The results suggest that CAD boost memory performance in rats through positive modulation of oxidative stress, cholinergic system and degeneration of hippocampal neurons.