title: Beneficial effect of Toona sinensis Roemor on improving cognitive performance and brain degeneration in senescence-accelerated mice.
abstract: The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of Toona sinensis Roemor extracts on antioxidative activities, brain morphological changes and cognitive ability. In an in vitro study, the antioxidant capacities of water extracts from Toona sinensis Roemor leaf (TSL), root (TSR) and bark (TSB) were evaluated by an alpha,alpha-diphenyl-beta-pricryl-hydrazyl radical-scavenging test. The results showed that the scavenging activities of all Toona sinensis Roemor extracts were over 80% at a concentration of 0.625 mg/ml. In an in vivo study, 3-month-old male senescence-accelerated-prone 8 mice were used as the tested subjects and fed four different diets: casein diet or casein diet supplemented with 1% TSL, TSR or TSB extract for 12 weeks. The results showed that the mice supplemented with Toona sinensis Roemor extracts demonstrated significantly less amyloid beta-protein deposition and lower levels of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances than the control group. All Toona sinensis Roemor diet groups also showed better active shuttle avoidance responses, and higher superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities, than the control group. It can thus be concluded that supplementation with either TSL, TSR or TSB extract could not only reduce the incidence of ss-amyloid plaques, but also improve learning and memory ability in senescence-accelerated-prone 8 mice. This might be due to the beneficial effects of Toona sinensis Roemor extracts on promoting the antioxidative defence system.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Veterinary Pathology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jiunn-Wang
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Cheng-Kuang
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Ming-Fu
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wen-Min
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Yin-Ching
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D019588:Aging, Premature / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008124:Locomotion / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D029582:Meliaceae; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D000975:Antioxidants; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D010936:Plant Extracts