title: Neuroprotective and cognitive-enhancing effects of the combined extract of Cyperus rotundus and Zingiber officinale.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Currently, food supplements to improve age-related dementia are required. Therefore, we aimed to determine the effect of the combined extract of Cyperus rotundus and Zingiber officinale (CP1) on the improvement of age-related dementia in rats with AF64A-induced memory deficits.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male Wistar rats weighing 180-200 g were orally given CP1 at doses of 100, 200 and 300 mg.kg-1BW for a period of 14 days after bilateral intracerebroventricular administration of AF64A. Spatial memory was assessed in all rats every 7 days throughout the 14 day-experimental period. At the end of the study, neuronal density, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, oxidative stress status and the activation of MAPK cascades in the hippocampus were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Enhanced memory, increased neuronal density, decreased AChE activity and decreased oxidative stress status together with activated pERK1/2 were observed in the hippocampus of CP1-treated rats. These results suggested that CP1 might improve memory via enhanced cholinergic function and decreased neurodegeneration and oxidative stress.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CP1 is a potential novel food supplement for dementia. However, further investigations on the subchronic toxicity of CP1 and drug interactions are required.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Graduate School (Neuroscience Program), Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand.|Integrative Complementary Alternative Medicine Research and Development Center, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand.
authors.forename: Chatchada
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sutalangka
authors.affiliation: Integrative Complementary Alternative Medicine Research and Development Center, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand. jintanapornw@yahoo.com.|Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand. jintanapornw@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Jintanaporn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wattanathorn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects*; D029786:Cyperus / Q000737:chemistry*; D003704:Dementia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D020939:Zingiber officinale / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013785:Thailand
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: Cyperus rotundus; Dementia; Neurodegeneration; Zingiber officinale