Pro-cognitive effects of Cirsium rivulare extracts in rats

• Published in: Journal of ethnopharmacology Vol. 129; no. 2; pp. 261 - 266
• Main Authors: Walesiuk, Anna, Nazaruk, Jolanta, Braszko, Jan J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 27.05.2010; Amsterdam; New York: Elsevier; Elsevier
• Subjects: animal models; Animals; Anti-Anxiety Agents - isolation & purification; Anti-Anxiety Agents - pharmacology; Anti-Anxiety Agents - therapeutic use; Anxiety - drug therapy; Anxiolysis; Avoidance Learning - drug effects; Benzodiazepines; Biological and medical sciences; Cirsium; Cirsium - chemistry; Cirsium rivulare; cognition; cognitive development; curiosity; emotions; Exploratory Behavior; Flavonoids; Flavonoids - isolation & purification; Flavonoids - pharmacology; Flavonoids - therapeutic use; Flowers; General pharmacology; Glucuronides - isolation & purification; Glucuronides - pharmacology; Glucuronides - therapeutic use; glycosides; leaves; Male; Maze Learning - drug effects; Medical sciences; medicinal plants; medicinal properties; Memory; Memory - drug effects; Motivation; Object recognition; Open field test; Passive avoidance behavior; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Phytotherapy; plant extracts; Plant Extracts - chemistry; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; Plant Leaves; pro-cognitive effect; Rats; Rats, Wistar; traditional medicine; tranquilizers; ‘Plus’ maze; Cirsium rivulare; Flavonoids; Anxiolysis; Memory; Open field test; Object recognition; ‘Plus’ maze; Passive avoidance behavior; Rat; Extract; Compositae; Flavonoid; Medicinal plant; Polyphenol; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Behavior; Pharmacognosy; Rodentia; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Animal; Plant origin; Phenols; Herbaceous plant; Spermatophyta; 'Plus' maze; Avoidance
• ISSN: 0378-8741; 1872-7573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2010.03.028

In this study we describe enhancing memory action of methanol extract obtained from the flowers of Cirsium rivulare. In addition to the known anxiolytic effect of the plant caused also by similar extract from leaves the flowers extract clearly improved recall of an aversively (passive avoidance) and appetitively (object recognition) motivated behavior. Responsible substance is most probably a flavonoid apigenin. Cirsium rivulare (Jacq.) All. (Asteraceae) is a herbaceous perennial plant occurring in Central Europe. It has been traditionally used in Polish folk medicine to treat anxiety. In the present study methanolic extracts from flowers and leaves of Cirsium rivulare containing flavonoid compounds linarin, pectolinarin, apigenin, hispidulin, their glycosides and a newly isolated compound isokaemferide 7- O-(6″-methylglucuronide) were studied for anxiolytic and pro-cognitive properties. Male Wistar rats (150–160 g) were used. They were treated orally with standardized methanol extracts of flowers and leaves of Cirsium rivulare and subsequently tested for memory in passive avoidance (PA) and object recognition (OR) tests. Auxiliary tests for motor (open field, OF) and emotional (elevated ‘plus’ maze, EPM) effects of the above treatments were also employed. We found that the extract from flowers of Cirsium rivulare, in addition to its anxiolytic effects as measured in the EPM, improves memory of the appetitively (by curiosity, OR) and aversively (by footshook, PA) motivated tasks. This is in contrast to classical anxiolytics as for example benzodiazepines that typically impair memory. The extract from leaves of Cirsium rivulare showed some anxiolytic properties in the EPM, and no effect in both cognitive tests. The examined extracts of Cirsium rivulare did not affect psychomotor exploratory activity of rats tested in the OF. These results suggest that the flavonoids from Cirsium rivulare possess anxiolytic and pro-cognitive effects, the extract from flowers being more pro-cognitive and that from the leaves more anxiolytic.