title: Evidence for nootropic effect of BR-16A (Mentat), a herbal psychotropic preparation, in mice.
abstract: BR-16A (Mentat 50-500 mg/kg) improved acquisition and retention of a passive avoidance task in a step-down paradigm in mice. BR-16A (50-500 mg/kg) reversed scopolamine (0.3 mg/kg)-induced disruption of acquisition and retention. BR 16-A (50 and 100 mg/kg) attenuated amnesia produced by the acute treatment with electroconvulsive shock (ECS), immediately after training. Chronic treatment with ECS, for 6 successive days at 24 h interval, disrupted memory consolidation on the 7th day. Daily administration of BR-16A (50 and 100 mg/kg) for 6 days significantly improved memory consolidation in mice receiving chronic ECS treatment. BR-16A (20-500 mg/kg), administered on the 7th day, also attenuated the disruption of memory consolidation produced by chronic treatment with ECS. On elevated plus-maze, BR-16A (50 and 100 mg/kg) reversed scopolamine (0.3 mg/kg)-induced delay in transfer latency on the 1st day. The above data suggests a nootropic effect of BR-16A in naive and amnesic mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Panjab University, Chandigarh.
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Kulkarni
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Verma
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D004597:Electroshock; D005260:Female; D007837:Latency Period, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D051379:Mice; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012601:Scopolamine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
chemical_list: C074754:Mentat; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D012601:Scopolamine