title: Evaluation of systemic administration of Boswellia papyrifera extracts on spatial memory retention in male rats.
abstract: Time-dependent effects of ethanolic extract of Boswellia papyrifera, administered systemically, on spatial memory retention in the Morris water maze were investigated in male rats. A total extract of Boswellia papyrifera (300 mg/kg) was administered every eight hours to three groups of rats by gavage for 1, 2 and 4 weeks. In a separate set of experiments, three doses of a fraction of the extract, called the boswellic acids (100, 200 and 300 mg/kg) were administered by gavage to three groups of rats three times a day for 2 weeks. Following these applications, animals were trained for 4 days. Behavioral testing for evaluation of spatial memory retention was performed 48 h after completion of training. Boswellia papyrifera extracts and boswellic acids caused a significant reduction in escape latency and distance traveled but had no influence on swimming speed. These findings provide evidence that Boswellia papyrifera extracts affect spatial memory retention irrespective of the treatment period. In addition our data show that systemic administration of the boswellic acids fraction enhanced spatial memory retention in a dose-dependent manner. These improving effects may be due to some extent to the interactions of these products with inflammatory mediators, neurotransmitter signaling cascades or protein kinase pathways in the brain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mahmoudi
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hosseini-Sharifabad
authors.forename: Hamid R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Monsef-Esfahani
authors.forename: Ali R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Yazdinejad
authors.forename: Mahnaz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khanavi
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roghani
authors.forename: Cordian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Beyer
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sharifzadeh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D029743:Boswellia / Q000737:chemistry*; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts