title: Anti-amnestic activity of E-p-methoxycinnamic acid from Scrophularia buergeriana.
abstract: We previously reported that phenylpropanoids isolated from the roots of Scrophularia buergeriana Miquel (Scrophulariaceae) protected cultured cortical neurons against glutamate-induced neurotoxicity [Kim and Kim, Phytochemistry, 54 (2000) 503-509; Kim et al., Br. J. Pharmacol. 135 (2002) 1281-1291]. In the present study, we examined the anti-amnestic activities of phenylpropanoids in mice with amnesia induced in vivo by scopolamine. Among the phenylpropanoids tested through passive avoidance tasks, buergeriside A1, buergeriside C1, E-p-methoxycinnamic acid (E-p-MCA) and E-isoferulic acid significantly improved the deficit of memory induced by scopolamine. This suggested that the alpha,beta-unsaturated carboxyl moiety and the para-methoxy group in phenylpropanoids (E-p-MCA) might be a crucial component in their cognition-enhancing activity. Indeed, E-p-MCA (0.01-2 mg/kg body weight, i.p.), given in pre- or post-treatment paradigms, significantly ameliorated scopolamine-induced amnesia as determined by passive avoidance tasks and prevented or aided in the recovery of memory to a level that was about 60% of control. In addition, E-p-MCA (0.1-1.0 mg/kg body weight, i.p.) significantly improved impairments of spatial learning and memory induced by scopolamine; the compound reduced deficits in both long- and short-term memories as measured by the Morris water maze test. We suggest, therefore, that E-p-MCA may ultimately hold significant therapeutic value in alleviating certain memory impairments observed in dementia.
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, San 56-1, Shillim-Dong, Kwanak-Gu, Seoul, 151-742, South Korea.
authors.forename: So Ra
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: So Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Ki Yong
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Seung Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: George J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Markelonis
authors.forename: Tae H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Young Choong
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000647:Amnesia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002934:Cinnamates / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004924:Escape Reaction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018517:Plant Roots; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012601:Scopolamine / Q000633:toxicity; D032266:Scrophularia
chemical_list: D002934:Cinnamates; D010936:Plant Extracts; C063318:4-methoxycinnamic acid; D012601:Scopolamine