title: Centella asiatica modulates antioxidant and mitochondrial pathways and improves cognitive function in mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study investigates the cognitive enhancing effects of the plant Centella asiatica which is widely used Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The goal of this study was to determine the effects of a water extract of the medicinal plant Centella asiatica (CAW) on cognitive ability as well as mitochondrial and antioxidant response pathways in vivo.
  
  
  METHODS
  Old and young C57BL/6 mice were treated with CAW (2mg/mL) in their drinking water. Learning and memory was assessed using Morris Water Maze (MWM) and then tissue was collected and gene expression analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CAW improved performance in the MWM in aged animals and had a modest effect on the performance of young animals. CAW also increased the expression of mitochondrial and antioxidant response genes in the brain and liver of both young and old animals. Expression of synaptic markers was also increased in the hippocampus and frontal cortex, but not in the cerebellum of CAW-treated animals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data indicate a cognitive enhancing effect of CAW in healthy mice. The gene expression changes caused by CAW suggest a possible effect on mitochondrial biogenesis, which in conjunction with activation of antioxidant response genes could contribute to cognitive improvement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239 USA. Electronic address: grayn@ohsu.edu.
authors.forename: Nora E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239 USA.
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239 USA; Department of Neurology and Parkinson's Disease Research Education and Clinical Care Center (PADRECC), Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Portland, OR 97239 USA.
authors.forename: Joseph F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Quinn
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239 USA.
authors.forename: Amala
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Soumyanath
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D028041:Centella; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism; D018697:Nootropic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: C526146:Centella asiatica extract; D018697:Nootropic Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014315:Triterpenes
keywords: Aging; Centella asiatica; Cognition; Mitochondrial dysfunction; Reactive oxygen species