Effects of green tea extract on learning, memory, behavior and acetylcholinesterase activity in young and old male rats.
OBJECTIVE
To study the effects of green tea extract administration on age-related cognition in young and old male Wistar rats.


METHODS
Young and old rats were orally administered 0.5% green tea extract for a period of eight weeks and were evaluated by passive avoidance, elevated maze plus paradigm and changes in acetylcholinesterase activity.


RESULTS
Treatment of young and old rats with the extract resulted in no significant difference in performance on the rota rod treadmill test/righting reflex time. Green tea extract significantly improved learning and memory in older rats, with increased retention latency to enter difference in passive avoidance test. In the elevated maze test, green tea treatment resulted in significantly more number of entries in the enclosed arm by the young and old rats. Decline in acetylcholinesterase activity was observed in the cerebrum of green tea treated old rats in comparison to the green tea treated young rats.


CONCLUSIONS
Green tea extract administration is effective in enhancing learning and memory in aged rats, and hence, may serve useful in reversing age-related deficits.
Kaur
Tranum
T
Department of Biophysics, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India. tranumsidhu@yahoo.com
Pathak
C M
CM
Pandhi
P
P
Khanduja
K L
KL
D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000517:prevention & control; D028241:Camellia sinensis; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D010936:Plant Extracts; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase