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(a) Novel object recognition test, short-term memory, and sample phase. (b) Novel object recognition test, test phase, and short-term memory. (c) Novel object recognition test, discrimination index for short-term memory. Effect of Crinum macowanii (CM) (10, 20, and 40 mg/kg) on the short-term memory object recognition task: (a) exploration times in the sample phase, (b) exploration times in the test phase, and (c) discrimination index. ∗P=0.0180 novel object versus familiar object, #P=0.0358 versus ALCL. ((a) and (b)) Two-way repeated measures (mixed model) ANOVA followed by Bonferroni posttests. (c) One-way analysis of variance followed by Dunnett’s Multiple Comparison tests. (d) Novel object recognition test, sample phase, and long-term memory. (e) Novel object recognition test, test phase, and long-term memory. (f) Novel object recognition test, discrimination index, and long-term memory. Effect of Crinum macowanii (CM) (10, 20, and 40 mg/kg) on the long-term memory object recognition task: (d) exploration times in the sample phase, (e) exploration times in the test phase, and (f) discrimination index. (∗∗P=0.0071 versus ALCL). ((d) and (e)) Two-way repeated measures (mixed model) ANOVA followed by Bonferroni posttests. (f) One-way analysis of variance followed by Dunnett’s Multiple Comparison tests.
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Crinum macowanii is a bulbous plant indigenous to many parts of Southern Africa. Extracts of C. macowanii have gained interest since the discovery of various alkaloids, few of which possess acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity. The present study was performed to evaluate the effect of a crude hydroethanolic extract of C. macowanii against alumi...
Citations
... Statistical significant difference was considered as * p < 0.05 than the familiar object. In this sense, many studies have used AlCl 3 to induce cognitive impairments at distinct stages by using different dosages from 50 mg/kg/day for 35 days in mice [65] to 100 mg/kg/day for 60 days in rats [66] and many other schemes. In the present study, a mixed model of pre-aged rats (10-month rats) + AlCl 3 100 mg/kg/day for 30 days was used. ...
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is defined as inter-stage between normal cognitive aging and major neurocognitive disorder (MND). This state of decay is a crucial factor in treatment to prevent the progression to MND. In this study, our group developed a virtual screening process to evaluate 2568 phytochemical compounds against 5 key proteins associated with MCI and MND. As a result, two potential candidates were identified: carpaine, found in Carica papaya leaves, and punicalagin, present in Punica granatum. A model of cognitive impairment (CI) was developed in 10-month-old male Sprague Dawley rats by administering aluminum chloride (AlCl3) at a dose of 100 mg/kg/day for 30 days. After AlCl3 administration period, one of the groups received carpaine and punicalagin in a phytochemical extract (PE) by oral gavage for 30 days. Novel object recognition test (NOR) was assessed at three different time points (T1 - before CI, T2 - after CI, and T3 - after PE treatment). Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and neurofilament light chain (NfL) were identified in the hippocampus of rats at the end of the study period. After administration of AlCl3, a reduction in discrimination index vs control rats (CI = 0.012 ± 0.08 vs Control = 0.076 ± 0.03), was observed. After phytochemical extract treatment, a significant increase in discrimination index values was observed in the PE group 0.4643 ± 0.13 vs CI group 0.012 ± 0.08. Additionally, the evaluation of immunohistochemistry showed an increase in GFAP positivity in the hippocampus of the CI groups, while a slight decrease was observed in the PE group. This work addressed a comprehensive methodology that utilized in silico tools to identify phytochemical compounds (carpaine and punicalagin) as potential candidates for affecting key proteins in CI. The phytochemical extract containing carpaine and punicalagin resulted in a trend in the decrease of GFAP expression in the hippocampus and improved recognition memory in rats with CI induced by age and AlCl3 administration.
... Agapanthus africanus (Agapanthaceae) has memory-enhancing characteristics and has long been used in ethnomedicine to boost memory (Stafford et al., 2008). In vitro studies of Boophone disticha leaves and bulb extracts revealed the neuroprotective potential as well as acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor ability of this plant, whereas in vivo assessment of Crinum macowanii, C. jagus and C. glaucum bulb extracts revealed their potential as memory enhancers (Hostettmann et al., 2006;Jilani et al., 2018;Stafford, 2009). Aizoaceae family member Carpobrotus edulis leaf extract has been demonstrated to inhibit AChE and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) in vitro and has been suggested to have neuroprotective properties (Rocha et al., 2017). ...
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurological ailment that primarily affects the elderly and necessitates an efficient treatment regimen backed up by extensive care. Despite advancement in the in vivo imaging techniques focussing on early diagnosis of reliable biomarkers using novel MRI and PET scans, AD remains largely unexplained and effective preventative and treatment strategies are still lacking. Consequently, research groups are constantly attempting to improve its early detection, using both invasive and non-invasive techniques with established core markers like Aβ and Tau (t-tau and p-tau) proteins. Unfortunately, African American and other black races are facing an increasing burden of closely associated risk factors, and only a few attempts have been made to find effective complementary and alternative therapies for AD cure and management. A greater epidemiology and natural product research are required to deal with the concurrent rise of dementia among quickly ageing African population, which so far have largely been ignored in addition to a disparity in the AD risk factors. We have tried to bring attention to the issue by reviewing up on this predisposition while generating a perspective on how race may affect AD risk and expression. This article also puts emphasis on finding new research leads from African phytodiversity while presenting several of the important species along with their biological agents found helpful in dementia related symptoms.
... It also displayed long-term memory-enhancing effects against scopolamine-induced memory impairment, suggesting it may be a useful memory restorative mediator in cognitive disorders such as AD (Mugwagwa et al., 2015). The EtOH extract (at 40 mg/kg) was also capable of alleviating the effects of AlCl 3 -induced memory impairment in Balb/c mice as seen via the novel object recognition and Morris water maze tests (Jilani et al., 2018). Dried-bulb MeOH/CH 2 Cl 2 (1:1) extracts of C. macowanii were also examined for antibacterial and cytotoxic effects (Sebola et al., 2019). ...
The plant family Amaryllidaceae has attracted widespread attention in view of the interesting biological properties of its alkaloid principles. Many of these discoveries are based on the traditional usage of its members in regions where they are prominent. Over a third of its complement is found in southern Africa, hence the heightened interest in the Amaryllidaceae from this territory. Up to 2012, over 80 species were examined, mainly for their alkaloid constitution. Given the medicinal potential of the family as well as its widespread usage in South African traditional medicine, efforts over the past decade have intensified in understanding its biological properties. This account focuses on the biological activities that have been reported since 2013 for extracts of four genera of the South African Amaryllidaceae, viz Crinum, Ammocharis, Amaryllis and Cyrtanthus. Fourteen related species were assayed during this period, with Crinum (5 species)
and Cyrtanthus (6 species) affording the bulk of the targets. Although most studies utilized the bulbous extracts, there were some instances involving the use of root, leaf and flower materials. The extractants used ranged from water to hexane, with a few examples addressing the outcomes of environmentally-benign extraction procedures. Close to twenty different areas were identified wherein the biological properties of the extracts were examined including, cytotoxicity, AChE and BuChE inhibition, cardio and hypertensive
effects, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, as well as antibacterial, antifungal and antiparasitic effects. Some studies also probed the mechanistic basis to these activities, notably in regards to their cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory effects.
... The alkaloid galanthamine isolated from C. bulbispermum and other genera of Amaryllidaceae, has been approved for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease [326]. Cognitive enhancing effect of a hydroethanolic extract of C. macowanii against memory impairment induced by aluminum chloride in balb/c mice has as well been reported [327]. ...
Amaryllidaceae is a significant source of bioactive phytochemicals with a strong propensity to develop new drugs. The genera Allium, Tulbaghia, Cyrtanthus and Crinum biosynthesize novel alkaloids and other phytochemicals with traditional and pharmacological uses. Amaryllidaceae biomolecules exhibit multiple pharmacological activities such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, and immunomodulatory effects. Traditionally, natural products from Amaryllidaceae are utilized to treat non-communicable and infectious human diseases. Galanthamine, a drug from this family, is clinically relevant in treating the neurocognitive disorder, Alzheimer’s disease, which underscores the importance of the Amaryllidaceae alkaloids. Although Amaryllidaceae provide a plethora of biologically active compounds, there is tardiness in their development into clinically pliable medicines. Other genera, including Cyrtanthus and Tulbaghia, have received little attention as potential sources of promising drug candidates. Given the reciprocal relationship of the increasing burden of human diseases and limited availability of medicinal therapies, more rapid drug discovery and development are desirable. To expedite clinically relevant drug development, we present here evidence on bioactive compounds from the genera Allium, Tulgbaghia, Cyrtanthus and Crinum and describe their traditional and pharmacological applications.
... Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a degenerative disease of the central nervous system that occurs in old age and pre-old age and is characterized by progressive cognitive dysfunction and behavioral impairment [1,2]. It is the most common type of dementia and one of the most common chronic diseases in old age [3], accounting for about 50% to 70% of dementia in old age [4,5]. ...
The purpose of this study was to identify hub genes closely correlated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and their association with immune cell infiltration. In this work, 119 overlapping differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained from GSE5281 and GSE122063 datasets through differential expression analysis. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed on the 119 DEGs, revealing some important biological functions and key pathways. AD immune cell infiltration analysis revealed a significant difference in the proportion of immune cells between the AD group and the control group. Finally, correlation analysis between target hub genes and immune cells indicated that GFAP had a positive or negative correlation with some specific immune cells. Our results provided useful clues, which will help to explain the molecular mechanism of AD and search for precise prognostic markers and potential therapeutic targets.
... This test is widely employed to estimate the rodent's cognition in different models of CNS illnesses as healthy rodents show the tendency to interact with novel surroundings (Jilani et al., 2018;Retinasamy et al., 2019). The capacity of IS.CR to affect the animal's short-term memory was examined in the scopolamine-amnesic rat model by exposing them to familiar and new objects in an apparatus of 80 Â 80 cm dimensions. ...
In the current study, we investigated the phytochemical and neuropharmacological potential of Indigofera sessiliflora, an indigenous least characterized plant widely distributed in deserted areas of Pakistan. The crude extract of the whole plant Indigofera sessiliflora (IS.CR) was preliminary tested in-vitro for the existence of polyphenol content, antioxidant and anticholinesterase potential followed by detailed chemical characterization through UHPLC-MS. Rats administered with different doses of IS.CR (100–300 mg/kg) for the duration of 4-weeks were behaviorally tested for anxiety and cognition followed by biochemical evaluation of dissected brain. The in-silico studies were employed to predict the blood–brain barrier crossing tendencies of secondary metabolites with the elucidation of the target binding site. The in-vitro assays revealed ample phenols and flavonoids content in IS.CR with adequate anti-oxidant and anticholinesterase potential. The dose-dependent anxiolytic potential of IS.CR was demonstrated in open field (OFT), light/dark (L/D) and elevated plus maze (EPM) tests as animals spent more time in open, illuminated and elevated zones (P
Alzheimer's disease (AD), which is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder is the most common form of dementia globally. Several studies have suggested alteration in the gut microbiota and HSV-1 infection as contributing factors to the development of the disease. As at now, there are no AD attenuating agents and AD pharmacotherapy is focused on managing symptoms while plants used in ethnomedicine remain potential sources of drugs for the treatment of the condition. Here, we reviewed published databases for African ethnomedicinal plants and functional foods of African origin that are used in the management of AD-related phenotypes, treatment of herpes simplex virus −1 (HSV-1) and/or improvement of gut microbiota. A total of 101 unique plant species and 24 different types of traditionally prepared African functional foodstuff were identified. Of the 101 identified plant species, 50 species serve as functional foodstuffs. Twenty-three (23) of the ethnomedicinal plant families were successfully identified for the treatment and management of AD-related phenotypes and age-related dementia. Eighteen (18) African plant species from 15 families were also identified as potent remedies for HSV-1; while many African wild fruits (3 species), roots and tubers (7 species), leafy vegetables (14 species), and seaweeds (26 species) were functional foods for modifying AD-related phenotypes. It was concluded that African medicinal plants are potential sources of both AD attenuating agents and phytocompounds that may be used against HSV-1 infection and alteration of gut microbiota. Additionally, a number of African functional foods are important sources of prebiotics and probiotics.
