title: Neuroprotective and cognitive enhancing activity of the fermented Bozhougyiqi-Tang.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disease related to memory impairments and neuronal cell death. Bozhougyiqi-Tang (BZYQT), a traditional herbal medicine, has been therapeutically used for the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to evaluated the neuroprotective effect of the fermented BZYQT and compared with unfermented BZYQT in HT22 cells by MTT assay and tested the beneficial effect on memory impairments induced by scopolamine (1 mg/kg, i.p.) using the passive avoidance and Morris water maze tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with unfermented BZYQT, the neuroprotective effect of fermented BZYQT on glutamate induced neurotoxicity in HT22 cells increased at a concentration of 100 μg/mL. Fermented BZYQT increased the step-through latency of the passive avoidance response. Furthermore, in Morris water maze test for evaluation of spatial learning and memory, escape latency time was significantly reduced by fermented BZYQT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that the fermentation process of BZYQT led to improve neuroprotective and cognitive enhancing effect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biomaterials Engineering, College of Biomedical Science, Kangwon National University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jin Bae
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Weon
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biomaterials Engineering, College of Biomedical Science, Kangwon National University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Bohyoung
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biomaterials Engineering, College of Biomedical Science, Kangwon National University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Bo-Ra
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Yun
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biomaterials Engineering, College of Biomedical Science, Kangwon National University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jiwoo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: TKM Converging Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, 483 Exporo, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jin Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biomaterials Engineering, College of Biomedical Science, Kangwon National University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea ; Research Institute of Biotechnology, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Choong Je
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Ma
keywords: Bozhougyiqi-Tang; Morris water maze; cognitive-enhancing activity; fermentation; neuroprotective effect