Protective effects of oral crocin against intracerebroventricular streptozotocin-induced spatial memory deficit and oxidative stress in rats

• Published in: Phytomedicine (Stuttgart) Vol. 20; no. 6; pp. 537 - 542
• Main Authors: Naghizadeh, B., Mansouri, M.T., Ghorbanzadeh, B., Farbood, Y., Sarkaki, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Elsevier GmbH 15.04.2013; Urban & Fischer Verlag
• Subjects: Alzheimer Disease - drug therapy; Animals; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Antioxidants - therapeutic use; Brain - drug effects; Care and treatment; Carotenoids; Carotenoids - pharmacology; Carotenoids - therapeutic use; Cognition - drug effects; Cognition Disorders - chemically induced; Cognition Disorders - drug therapy; Cognition Disorders - metabolism; Crocin; Crocus - chemistry; Free Radicals - metabolism; Glutathione Peroxidase - metabolism; Health aspects; Male; Malondialdehyde - blood; Maze Learning - drug effects; Medicine, Botanic; Medicine, Herbal; Memory Disorders - chemically induced; Memory Disorders - drug therapy; Memory Disorders - metabolism; Memory, Disorders of; Oxidative stress; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Spatial memory; Streptozocin; Streptozotocin (STZ); Sulfhydryl Compounds - blood; Iran; Cro; Oxidative stress; AD; DTNB; Crocin; TBARS; LPO; MDA; H2O2; GPx; Streptozotocin (STZ); ROS; STZ; GSH; Spatial memory
• ISSN: 0944-7113; 1618-095X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2012.12.019

Intracerebroventricular (ICV) streptozotocin (STZ) has been shown to cause cognitive impairment, associated with free radical generation. In this study, we evaluated the effects of crocin on cognitive performance in ICV STZ-lesioned rats (3mg/kg bilaterally, on day 1 and 3). Crocin (100mg/kg, p.o.) was administered for 21 consecutive days, starting 1h prior to the first dose of STZ. Cognitive performance was assessed using Morris water maze task while the parameters of oxidative stress assessed, were malondialdehyde (MDA) and total thiol levels besides glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity. STZ-lesioned rats showed a severe deficit in memory associated with elevated MDA levels, reduced GPx activity and total thiol content. Crocin treatment improved cognitive performance and resulted in a significant reduction in MDA levels and elevation in total thiol content and GPx activity. This study demonstrates that crocin may have beneficial effects in the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.