title: Ameliorating effect of new constituents from the hooks of Uncaria rhynchophylla on scopolamine-induced memory impairment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the chemical constituents and their anti-amnesic effect from the hooks of Uncaria rhynchophylla.
  
  
  METHODS
  The isolation of compounds was performed by chromatographic techniques and their structures were identified on the basis of spectral analysis. Their ameliorating effects on scopolamine-induced memory impairment in vivo using a Morris water-maze task and passive avoidance task system were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Activity-guided fractionation of the total extracts resulted in the isolation of four constituents, trans-anethole (1), p-anisaldehyde (2), estragole (3), and 3-oxo-olean-12-en-28-oic acid (4), which were found for the first time from this plant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compound 1 exhibited a better memory enhancing effect than tacrine, a positive agent, at the same dose in the passive avoidance test and a similar property in the water-maze test, and its action may be mediated, in part, by the acetylcholine enhancing cholinergic nervous system.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Bioconvergence Technology, Dongguk University, Gyeongju, 780-714, Korea.
authors.forename: Suk-Chul
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Dong-Ung
authors.initials: DU
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012601:Scopolamine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D032070:Uncaria / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D012601:Scopolamine
keywords: Passive avoidance task; Trans-anethole; Uncaria rhynchophylla; Water-maze task