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Analysing Curcuma caesia fractions and essential oil for neuroprotective potential against anxiety, depression, and amnesia

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Abstract

Scientific pieces of evidence support the pharmacological activity of Curcuma caesia for its antidepressant, analgesic, anticonvulsant and antioxidant effect. Here, we evaluate the bioactivity of essential oil and the various polarity-based solvent partitioned fractions obtained from Curcuma caesia for anti-amnesia, anxiolytic and antidepressant activities using Elevated plus maze and Morris water maze models. The cold maceration technique using methanol was adopted for extraction from dried powdered rhizomes and essential oil was extracted by hydrodistillation method. Partitioning of the methanolic extract based on solvent polarity by hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol was continued, followed by column chromatography of the ethyl acetate fraction. Suspensions were prepared for fractions (dissolved in distilled water) and essential oil (dissolved in tween 20) at 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg after acute toxicity study and were orally administered to Wistar albino female rats after the orientation of hypoxia by sodium nitrite (50 mg/kg) and amnesia by scopolamine (1 mg/kg). Behavioural observations, biochemical and histopathological examinations were carried out for all the treated groups. Diazepam (12 mg/kg) and galantamine (3 mg/kg) were used as standard drugs for this study against hypoxia and amnesia. Data acquired from behavioural, biochemical (acetylcholinesterase, myeloperoxidase, superoxide dismutase, reduced glutathione, catalase) and histopathological studies have illustrated that fraction II acquires highly significant memory-enhancing, anxiolytic and antidepressant effects. Rest fractions (I and III) and essential oil showed moderate efficacy. In prospects, identification of active molecules from the most active fraction (fraction II) and further studies on a molecular basis would substantiate its specific mechanism of neuroprotective action.

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Abbreviations

Nos.:

Numbers

RNS:

Reactive Nitrogen Species

OECD:

Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development

EPM:

Elevated plus maze (EPM)

MWM:

Morris water maze

cm:

Centimeter

GSH:

Reduced glutathione

Cat:

Catalase activity

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

MPO:

Myeloperoxidase

DTNB:

5′ dithionitrobenzoic acid

mM:

MilliMolar

EDTA:

Ethylenediamine tetra acetic acid

TCA:

Tricholoacetic acid

g:

Gram

O.D.:

Optical density

UV–Vis spectrophotometer:

Ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometer

H2O2 :

Hydrogen peroxide

SEM:

Standard error of the mean

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Acknowledgement

The authors express their thanks to Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Govt. of India, New Delhi, for financial support. The authors are thankful to Botanical Survey of India, Eastern Regional Centre, Shillong, Meghalaya for authenticating the plant. The authors are also thankful to Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST), Guwahati, Assam for extending laboratory facility.

Funding

This research work received fund from Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), HRDG, New Delhi under CSIR Direct SRF Scheme Vide File No. 09/857 (0010)/2018-EMR-I.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh, Assam, 786004, India

    Sudarshana Borah & Hemanta Kumar Sharma

  2. DBT Wellcome Lab, Asian Healthcare Foundation, Asian Institute of Gastroenterology, Hyderabad, India

    Priyanka Sarkar

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  1. Sudarshana Borah
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Correspondence to Hemanta Kumar Sharma.

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Borah, S., Sarkar, P. & Sharma, H.K. Analysing Curcuma caesia fractions and essential oil for neuroprotective potential against anxiety, depression, and amnesia. 3 Biotech 11, 240 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13205-021-02793-w

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