The nootropic and anticholinesterase activities of Clitoria ternatea Linn. root extract: Potential treatment for cognitive decline
Abstract
Background Clitoria ternatea (CT) is an herbal plant that has been used as a memory booster in folk medicine. CT root extract has been proven to restore chronic cerebral hypoperfusion (CCH)-induced memory deficits in a rat model, but the underlying mechanisms and the toxicity profile following repeated exposure have yet to be explored.The aim of the study To investigate the effects of the chronic (28 days) oral administration of CT root extract on CCH-induced cognitive impairment, neuronal damage and cholinergic deficit, and its toxicity profile in the CCH rat model.Materials and methods The permanent bilateral occlusion of common carotid arteries (PBOCCA) surgery method was employed to develop a CCH model in male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. Then, these rats were given oral administration of CT root extract at doses of 100, 200, and 300 mg/kg, respectively for 28 days and subjected to behavioural tests. At the end of the experiment, the brain was harvested for histological analysis and cholinesterase activities. Then, blood samples were collected and organs such as liver, kidney, lung, heart, and spleen were procured for toxicity assessment.Results Chronic treatment of CT root extract at doses of 200 and 300 mg/kg, restored memory impairments induced by CCH. CT root extract was also found to diminish CCH-induced neuronal damage in the CA1 region of the hippocampus. High dose (300 mg/kg) of the CT root extract was significantly inhibited the increased acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in the frontal cortex and hippocampus of the PBOCCA rats. In toxicity study, repeated doses of CT root extract were found to be safe in PBOCCA rats after 28 days of treatment.Conclusions Our findings provided scientific evidence supporting the therapeutic potential of CT root extract in the treatment of vascular dementia (VaD)-related cholinergic abnormalities and subsequent cognitive decline.
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C. ternatea root extract reversed chronic cerebral hypoperfusion-induced neural damage and memory impairment at doses of 200 and 300 mg/kg.
“Damodaran et al. [144] documented the neuroprotective effect of the C. ternatea root extract in reversing chronic cerebral hypoperfusion-induced neural damage and memory impairment at doses of 200 and 300 mg/kg.”
From Indian Medicinal Herbs and Formulations for Alzheimer’s Disease, from Traditional Knowledge to Scientific Assessment (2020) · cites this paper as [144]
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- Authors
- Damodaran, T., Cheah, P. S., Murugaiyah, V., & Hassan, Z.
- Affiliations
- Universiti Sains Malaysia (MY)
- Universiti Putra Malaysia (MY)
- Corresponding author
- Hassan, Zurina
- Venue
- Neurochemistry International
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2020-10
- Volume
- 139
- Pages
- 104785
- ISSN
- 0197-0186 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W3040746977
- Cited by
- 23
- References
- 49
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 1
- FWCI
- 2.49
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Neurochemistry International (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Universiti Sains Malaysia (1001/CDADAH/8012302)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Medicinal Plants and Neuroprotection
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neurological Disease Mechanisms and Treatments
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Cholinesterase and Neurodegenerative Diseases
- Keywords
- Clitoria ternatea, root extract, nootropic activity, acetylcholinesterase inhibition, anticholinesterase activity, cognitive decline, vascular dementia, chronic cerebral hypoperfusion, memory impairment, cholinergic deficit, neuroprotection, repeated-dose toxicity, herbal medicine
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Brain, Cerebrovascular Circulation, Cholinesterase Inhibitors, Male, Plant Extracts, Treatment Outcome, Rats, Sprague-Dawley, Oxidative Stress, Plant Roots, Nootropic Agents, Maze Learning, Clitoria, Rats, Cognitive Dysfunction
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