World Journal of
Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences

COMPARATIVE EFFECT OF GINSENG ROOT AND VITAMIN E ON LEARNING AND MEMORY BEHAVIOUR IN BIOLOGICALLY AND CHEMICALLY STRESSED OUT CDI MICE EXPERIMENTAL MODEL

Joffa P. P. K., Erigbali P. P.*, Kiridi E. G., Gbolou J.

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of a herbal remedy Ginseng and vitamin E which has known antioxidant activity and neuroprotective benefits on learning and memory functions in an experimental model of CD1 Swiss mice exposed to biological and chemical stress induction; So as to substantiate or grade the efficacy of ginseng. This is against the background of the enormity of physical as well as socioeconomic burden of neurodegenerative and mental health related challenges. A total of seventy – two pups of post natal day 2 (PND2) obtained from bred timed-pregnant C57BL/6 dams were used for this experiment. They were placed in four sets of three groups, such that each group contained 6 pups with an averagely equal distribution of male and female. For Set 1, group 1 had normal condition as control, group 2 was exposed to chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) including combination of social deprivation, food starvation, hot dry air condition, bright light at night once daily (as biologically stressed mice), and group 3 was exposed to stress by treatment with neurotoxin 3-NP (as chemically stressed mice). For Set 2 (non-stressed set), group 1 had normal condition, group 2 was treated with 0.5 mg/kg Vitamin E orally and group 3 was orally administered 1mg/kg Ginseng. For Set 3(biologically stressed set), group 1 was only exposed to CUS, group 2 in addition to the CUS exposure was treated with 0.5 mg/kg Vitamin E while group 3 was given 1mg/kg Ginseng orally in addition to CUS exposure. Set 4 was designated as chemically stressed set of mice. Its groups 1, 2 and 3 were treated intraperitonealy with 15mg/kg dose of 3-NP daily for 4 days, and in addition group 2 was treated with 0.5mg/kg Vitamin E while group 3 was treated with 1mg/kg Ginseng both orally. The experimental study lasted from PND2 to PND 24 when mice were taken for neurobehavioural study involving T-maze test and Morris water maze, a standard protocol to investigate learning and memory behaviour. The results observed suggest that treatment with ginseng and vitamin E improved visuospatial memory. However, for comparative efficacy, in the biological stress model, vitamin E appears more effective than ginseng, as it showed a higher degree of impact for reversal of memory impairment that was significant at P<0.05, whereas this similar difference observed for the chemical stress model was not significant, probably due to the greater extent of damage by the 3-NP neurotoxin on cognition or a mechanism yet to be known, which could be a suggested further study.

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