Piperine abates cognitive dysfunction via modulation of key enzymes relevant to neurodegeneration in scopolamine-induced rats

This study assessed the effects of piperine (PIP) on spatial memory, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) production, and key enzymes [acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), monoamine oxidase (MAO)] linked to neurodegeneration. Scopolamine was used to induce an Alzheimer ’s disease (AD)–like model in rats. Forty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into eight groups of five rats: normal control rats (NC), scopolamine-induced amnesia (SCO), scopolamine-induced amnesia plus piperine 5 mg/kg, scopolamine-induced amnesia plus piperine 10 mg/kg, scopolamine-induc ed amnesia plus prostigmine 1 mg/kg, piperine 5 mg/kg, piperine 10 mg/kg, and prostigmine 1 mg/kg. A single dose of intraperitoneal injection of scopolamine (2 mg/kg) was administered on the 14th day prior to the termination of the experiment. Oral administration of piperine once daily for 14  days was done throughout the experiment. Prior to sacrifice of the animals, memory test using the Y-Maze was carried out. Oral administration of piperine prevented scopolamine-induced memory impairment, inhibited TBARS production, and modulated the activities of AChE, BChE, and MAO in hippocampus an d cerebral cortex of the brain. The inhibitory effect of piperine on key enzymes relevant to neurodegeneration may explain, in part, the protective effect of piperine in ameliorating the progression of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease. Therefore, piperine may act as a...
Source: Comparative Clinical Pathology - Category: Pathology Source Type: research