Abstract:
The major imperative of the nutraceutical industry is to effectively translate insights gained from basic or experimental neuroscience research on natural products into novel therapeutics for CNS disorders. The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential nootropic and other behavioral effects of different doses of thymoquinone (TQ), the main active component of Nigella sativa seeds and other neuroprotectants, in unstressed and stressed rat models. TQ (20 and 40 mg kg-1, i.p) was administered from 10:30 to 11:00 am immediately before starting stress session. Acute stress was induced by immobilizing the rats on restraining grids for 2 h in between 11:00-11:30 am to 13:00pm-13:30pm. Activity in an open field and performance in Morris water maze (MWM) tests were monitored next day. We find that intraperitoneal administration of high dose of TQ (40 mg kg-1) improves stress-induced impairment of learning acquisition and memory retention in MWM test. This dose also increases learning acquisition in unstressed animals. While low dose of TQ (20 mg kg-1) improves stress-induced impairment of learning acquisition and enhances locomotor activity of unstressed animals in open field. Nootropic effects of TQ may be due to an increase in dopamine neurotransmission, and 5-HT levels as evidenced by administration of Black seed oil. Further studies on neurotransmitters, hormones, and genes involved in cognition enhancing effects of TQ and other nutraceuticals during stress are required to elucidate the underlying mechanism(s) to develop novel therapy for the treatment of stress-related dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
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Published:
Journal: Abstract Book on 9th Annual Neuroscience Conference (ANC-23) August 12-13, 2023 , Volume: 0, Issue: 0, Year: 2023