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The effects of black garlic (Allium sativum L.) ethanol extract on the estimated total number of Purkinje cells and motor coordination of male adolescent Wistar rats treated with monosodium glutamate

Anatomical Science International volume 90, pages 75–81 (2015)Cite this article

Abstract

A number of studies have indicated that monosodium glutamate (MSG) might cause negative effects on the nervous system, including in the cerebellum. Garlic (Allium sativum) has long been known as a flavouring agent and a traditional remedy for various illnesses. The present study aimed at investigating the effects of garlic on the motor coordination and the number of Purkinje cells present in rats treated with MSG. A total of 25 male Wistar rats aged 4 to 5 weeks old were used in this study and were divided into five groups, namely a negative control (C−) group, which received 0.9 % NaCl solution, a positive control (C+) group, which received MSG, and three treated groups, which received 2 mg/g bw of MSG and 2.5 mg (T2.5), 5 mg (T5), or 10 mg (T10) of black garlic solution per oral administration (per 200 g bw), respectively. All treatments were carried out for 10 days. Upon the end of the treatment, the motor performance of all rats were tested using the rotarod apparatus. The rats were subsequently sacrificed, and the cerebella of the rats were processed for stereological analyses. It has been found that the number of Purkinje cells of the cerebella of all treated groups were significantly higher than that of the group treated with MSG only. No changes in motor coordination function were observed as a result of MSG treatment.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by grant no LPPM-UGM/767/BID.I/2012 of public funding of the Universitas Gadjah Mada. The authors would like to thank Safriani, Suparno (Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, UGM), Wiwit Setyowati, Sumaryati, and Yohannes Suhardi (Department of Histology and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, UGM) for their technical assistance.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, 55281, Indonesia

    M. Aminuddin & G. Partadiredja

  2. Nursing Academy of East Kalimantan, Samarinda, Indonesia

    M. Aminuddin

  3. Department of Anatomy, Embryology, and Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, 55281, Indonesia

    D. C. R. Sari

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  1. M. Aminuddin
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  2. G. Partadiredja
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  3. D. C. R. Sari
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Correspondence to G. Partadiredja.

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Aminuddin, M., Partadiredja, G. & Sari, D.C.R. The effects of black garlic (Allium sativum L.) ethanol extract on the estimated total number of Purkinje cells and motor coordination of male adolescent Wistar rats treated with monosodium glutamate. Anat Sci Int 90, 75–81 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12565-014-0233-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12565-014-0233-2

Keywords

  • Cerebellum
  • Food additives
  • Garlic
  • Rotarod performance test
  • Sodium glutamate