Restorative Potentials of Aqueous Telfairia occidentalis Seeds Extract on the Hippocampal Nissl Granules and Short-Term Memory in Scopolamine Hydrobromide-Induced Alzheimer’s Type Cognitive Dysfunction Rats

Eru M. Eru¹*, Gabriel U. Udo-Affah¹, Samson O. Paulinus², Kelechi C. Uruakpa¹, Michael E. Oku¹, Sadeyeng E. Anani¹, Nwosu C.  Blessed¹, Theresa Nyiam¹, Nsikak M. Umoh¹, Anozeng O. Igiri¹

¹Department of Anatomical Sciences, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria

²Department of Radiography & Radiological Science, University of Calabar, Calabar Nigeria

Corresponding Author: erumba@unical.edu.ng; Tel: +2347065560843

Recieved Date: October 24, 2020; Accepted Date: January 24, 2021; Published Date: 03 February 2021

Citation: Eru EM, Udo-Affah GU, Paulinus SO, Uruakpa KC, Oku ME, Anani SE, Blessed NC, Nyiam T, Umoh NM, Igiri AO. Restorative Potentials of Aqueous Telfairia occidentalis Seeds Extract on the Hippocampal Nissl Granules and Short Term Memory in Scopolamine Hydrobromide-Induced Alzheimer’s Type Cognitive Dysfunction Rats. Trop J Nat Prod Res. 2021; 5(1):182-187.  https://doi.org/10.26538/tjnpr/v5i1.24

Copyright: © 2021 Eru  et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

ABSTRACT

Cognitive dysfunction is one of the major health problems including Alzheimer’s that is debilitating in nature. Neuroprotections are strategies and relative mechanisms that are able to defend the central nervous system against neuronal injury due to acute or chronic neurodegenerative disorders. This study elucidated the potentials of aqueous Telfairia occidentalis seed extract on Nissl substance in the hippocampus and short-term memory using scopolamine-induced Alzheimer’s type cognitive dysfunction rats. With ethical approval from the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria (FAREC-FBMS 042ANA3719), thirty Wistar rats weighing between 180-200 g were used for the study and grouped into five; A, B, C, D and E. Alzheimer’s type cognitive dysfunction was induced in groups B through E before the extract and drug administration, followed by the novel object recognition test and histochemical tissue processing for Nissl granules demonstration with Cresyl Fast Violet stain. Neurobehavioral results revealed enhancement of short-term memory in the treated groups. The Nissl body stained with Cresyl Fast Violet under light microscope revealed less stain in group B. Groups C and E were mildly stained while Group D was deeply stained. The deeply stained Nissl granules in group D indicates increased protein synthesis which may cause proliferation of synapses in the hippocampal pyramidal cells hence, leading to enhanced learning and memory. In conclusion, aqueous extract of Telfairia occidentalis restored depleted hippocampal Nissl granules and enhanced short-term memory in scopolamine hydrobromide-induced Alzheimer’s type cognitive dysfunction rats.