title: Arctigenin isolated from the seeds of Arctium lappa ameliorates memory deficits in mice.
abstract: The seeds of Arctium lappa L. (AL, family Asteraceae), the main constituents of which are arctiin and arctigenin, have been used as an herbal medicine or functional food to treat inflammatory diseases. These main constituents were shown to inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity. Arctigenin more potently inhibited AChE activity than arctiin. Arctigenin at doses of 30 and 60 mg/kg (p. o.) potently reversed scopolamine-induced memory deficits by 62 % and 73 %, respectively, in a passive avoidance test. This finding is comparable with that of tacrine (10 mg/kg p. o.). Arctigenin also significantly reversed scopolamine-induced memory deficits in the Y-maze and Morris water maze tests. On the basis of these findings, arctigenin may ameliorate memory deficits by inhibiting AChE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life and Nanopharmaceutical Sciences and Department of Pharmacy, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: In-Ah
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Eun-Ha
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Joh
authors.forename: Dong-Hyun
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D031170:Arctium / Q000737:chemistry*; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D055951:Functional Food; D005663:Furans / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005960:Glucosides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D017705:Lignans / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012601:Scopolamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry; D013619:Tacrine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D005663:Furans; D005960:Glucosides; D017705:Lignans; D010936:Plant Extracts; D013619:Tacrine; D012601:Scopolamine; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase; C077992:arctiin; C071942:arctigenin