title: Novel cognitive improving and neuroprotective activities of Polygala tenuifolia Willdenow extract, BT-11.
abstract: We carried out this study to search a new active constituent that had cognitive enhancing activity and low side effects from natural source. We found that the extract of dried root of Polygala tenuifolia Willdenow (BT-11, 10 mg/kg, i.p.) could significantly reverse scopolamine-induced cognitive impairments in rat, using a passive avoidance and a water maze test. We also investigated the effects of BT-11 on neurotoxicity induced by glutamate (Glu) and toxic metabolites of amyloid precursor protein (APP) such as amyloid beta protein (A beta) and C-terminal fragment of APP (CT) in primary cultured neurons of rat. The pretreatment of BT-11 (0.5, 3, and 5 micro g/ml) significantly reduced cell death induced by Glu (1 mM), A beta (10 micro M) and CT105 (10 micro M) in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, BT-11 inhibited acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in a dose-dependent and non-competitive manner (IC(50) value; 263.7 micro g/ml). Our novel findings suggest the possibility that this extract may have some protective effects against neuronal death and cognitive impairments in Alzheimer's disease (AD), or other neurodegenerative diseases related to excitotoxicity and central cholinergic dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, National Creative Research Initiative Center for Alzheimer's Dementia and Neuroscience Research Institute, MRC, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Cheol Hyoung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Se Hoon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Ja-Wook
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Koo
authors.forename: Ji-Heui
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: Hye-Sun
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sung-Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: Yoo-Hun
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Suh
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000633:toxicity; D000818:Animals; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D031801:Polygala / Q000737:chemistry*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D018698:Glutamic Acid