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Evaluation of systemic administration of Boswellia papyrifera extracts on spatial memory retention in male rats

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Abstract

Time-dependent effects of ethanolic extract of Boswellia papyrifera, administered systemically, on spatial memory retention in the Morris water maze were investigated in male rats. A total extract of Boswellia papyrifera (300 mg/kg) was administered every eight hours to three groups of rats by gavage for 1, 2 and 4 weeks. In a separate set of experiments, three doses of a fraction of the extract, called the boswellic acids (100, 200 and 300 mg/kg) were administered by gavage to three groups of rats three times a day for 2 weeks. Following these applications, animals were trained for 4 days. Behavioral testing for evaluation of spatial memory retention was performed 48 h after completion of training. Boswellia papyrifera extracts and boswellic acids caused a significant reduction in escape latency and distance traveled but had no influence on swimming speed. These findings provide evidence that Boswellia papyrifera extracts affect spatial memory retention irrespective of the treatment period. In addition our data show that systemic administration of the boswellic acids fraction enhanced spatial memory retention in a dose-dependent manner. These improving effects may be due to some extent to the interactions of these products with inflammatory mediators, neurotransmitter signaling cascades or protein kinase pathways in the brain.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by funds from Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The authors thank Ali Kazemi for his excellent technical assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box 14155-6451, Tehran, Iran

    Ali Mahmoudi, Ali Hosseini-Sharifabad & Mohammad Sharifzadeh

  2. Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medicinal Plants Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Hamid R. Monsef-Esfahani, Ali R. Yazdinejad & Mahnaz Khanavi

  3. Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Institute of Environmental and Human Health, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA

    Ali Roghani

  4. Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Neuroanatomy, RWTH Aachen University, Wendlingweg 2, 52074, Aachen, Germany

    Cordian Beyer & Mohammad Sharifzadeh

Authors
  1. Ali Mahmoudi
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  2. Ali Hosseini-Sharifabad
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  3. Hamid R. Monsef-Esfahani
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  6. Ali Roghani
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  8. Mohammad Sharifzadeh
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Correspondence to Mohammad Sharifzadeh.

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Mahmoudi, A., Hosseini-Sharifabad, A., Monsef-Esfahani, H.R. et al. Evaluation of systemic administration of Boswellia papyrifera extracts on spatial memory retention in male rats. J Nat Med 65, 519–525 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11418-011-0533-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11418-011-0533-y

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