Abstract

ROLE OF BENINCASA HISPIDA LINN. ON BRAIN ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY IN COLCHICINE INDUCED EXPERIMENTAL RAT MODEL OF ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE: POSSIBLE INVOLVEMENTS OF ANTIOXIDANTS

*Chandan Roy and Debjani Guha

Abstract

The present study was designed to undertaken the role of Benincasa hispida (BH) on brain electrical activity in colchicine induced experimental rat model of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) with possible involvement of antioxidants. The antioxidant enzyme activities such as, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), reduced glutathione (GSH) and lipid peroxidation (LPO) level were studied in different parts of the brain such as Cerebral cortex (CC), Cerebellum (CB), Caudate nucleus (CN), Pons and Medulla (PM) and Midbrain (MB) in BH treated colchicine induced experimental Alzheimer’s rat model. Electroencephalographic recordings were also examined throughout this study. BH significantly increased the superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and reduced glutathione (GSH) level in CC, CB, CN, MB and PM and significantly decreased the lipid peroxidation (LPO) level. After intracerebroventricular (ICV) infusion of colchicine, it significantly decreased the occurrence of alpha wave activity and significantly increased the occurrence of spike wave discharges in colchicine induced experimental rat model of AD as compared to that of control and BH treated colchicine treated experimental rat model of AD. BH protects rat neurons against oxidative stress as is evidenced from our results of LPO, CAT, SOD, GSH and EEG activities possibly by vitamin E, C and beta carotene which are present in BH pulp extract.

Keywords: Benincasa hispida, colchicine, Alzheimer’s disease, superoxide dismutase, catalase, lipid peroxidation.