Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Enhanced dendritic arborization of amygdala neurons during growth spurt periods in rats orally intubated with Bacopa monniera extract

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Anatomical Science International Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Bacopa monniera (BM)—a small, creeping herb—has been classified under Medhya rasayana (medicinal plants rejuvenating intellect and memory) in the ancient Indian system of medicine, viz., Ayurveda. Therefore, this plant has been investigated in several laboratories in India for its neuropharmacological effects. Here, we investigated the role of BM standardized extract on the dendritic morphology of amygdaloid neurons—one of the regions concerned with learning and memory. The rat pups (10 days old) were fed standardized extract of BM (20, 40 and 80 mg/kg) for 2, 4 and 6 weeks. After the treatment period, the rats were killed by decapitation, the brains were removed and amygdaloid neurons were impregnated with silver nitrate (Golgi staining). Amygdaloid neurons were traced using camera lucida. Dendritic branching points (a measure of dendritic arborization) and dendritic intersections (a measure of dendritic length) were quantified. These data were compared with control rats. The results showed a significant increase in dendritic length and dendritic branching points along the length of dendrites of the amygdaloid neurons of rats treated with all doses of BM for longer periods of time (i.e., 4 and 6 weeks). We conclude that constituents present in BM extract have neuronal dendritic growth stimulating properties.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Antoniadis EA, McDonald RJ (2000) Amygdala, hippocampus and discriminative fear conditioning to context. Behav Brain Res 108:1–19

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Baxter MG, Murray EA (2002) The amygdala and reward. Nat Rev Neurosci 3:563–573

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bharathi H, Rao MS, Murthy KD (1999) Pyramid environment enhances learning and memory—a behavioural and morphological study. In: International Congress on Frontiers in Pharmacology and Therapeutics in 21st Century (Abstract). Indian Pharmacological Society, New Delhi, India

  • Bhattacharya SK, Bhattacharya A, Kumar A, Ghosal S (2000) Antioxidant activity of Bacopa monniera in rat frontal cortex, striatum and hippocampus. Phytother Res 14:174–179

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bindu B, Alladi PA, Mansooralikhan BM, Srikumar BN, Raju TR, Kutty BM (2007) Short-term exposure to an enriched environment enhances dendritic branching but not brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression in the hippocampus of rats with ventral subicular lesions. Neuroscience 144:412–423

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Das A, Shanker G, Nath C, Pal R, Singh S, Singh H (2002) A comparative study in rodents of standardized extracts of Bacopa monniera and Ginkgo biloba. Anticholinesterase and cognitive enhancing activities. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 73:893–900

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dhawan BN, Singh HK (1996) Pharmacology of ayurvedic nootropic Bacopa monniera. Abs. NR 59, International Convention of Biological Psychiatry, Bombay

  • Dobbing J, Sands J (1979) Comparative aspects of the brain growth spurt. Early Human Dev 3:79–83

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Indurwade NH, Biyani KR (2000) Evaluation of comparative and combined depressive effect of Brahmi, Shankhpushpi and Jatamansi in mice. Indian J Med Sci 54:339–341

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jain S, Shukla SD, Sharma K, Bhatnagar M (2001) Neuroprotective effects of Withania somnifera Dunn. in hippocampal sub-regions of female albino rat. Phytother Res 15:544–548

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kim YO, Leem K, Park J, Lee P, Ahn DK, Lee BC, Park HK, Suk K, Kim SY, Kim H (2001) Cytoprotective effect of Scutellaria baicalensis in CA1 hippocampal neurons of rats after global cerebral ischemia. J Ethnopharmacol 77:183–188

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mahajan DS, Desiraju T (1988) Alterations of dendritic branching and spine densities of hippocampal CA3 pyramidal neurons induced by operant conditioning in the phase of brain growth spurt. Exp Neurol 100:1–15

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pare D (2003) Role of the basolateral amygdala in memory consolidation. Prog Neurobiol 70:409–420

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Phelps EA (2004) Human emotion and memory: interactions of the amygdala and hippocampal complex. Curr Opin Neurobiol 14:198–202

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rai KS, Murthy KD, Rao MS, Karanth KS (2000) Clitoria ternatea (Linn) root extract treatment in rats during growth spurt period affects dendritic morphology of hippocampal CA3 neurons. In: Third Congress. Federation of Indian Physiological Societies (FIPS), (Abstract no. 45) Calcutta, India

  • Rai KS, Murthy KD, Karanth KS, Rao MS (2001) Clitoria ternatea (Linn) root extract treatment during growth spurt period enhances learning and memory in rats. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol 45:305–313

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rai KS, Murthy KD, Karanth KS, Nalini K, Rao MS, Srinivasan KK (2002) Clitoria ternatea root extract enhances acetylcholine content in rat hippocampus. Fitoterapia 73:685–689

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rai KS, Murthy KD, Rao MS, Karanth KS (2005) Altered dendritic arborization of amygdala neurons in young and adult rats orally intubated with Clitoria ternatea aqueous root extract. Phytother Res 19:592–598

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rao MKG (2002) Effect of Centella asiatica extract on rat central nervous system-a behavioral and morphological study, PhD thesis. MAHE-Deemed University, Manipal, India

  • Rao BS, Desiraju T, Raju TR (1993) Neuronal plasticity induced by self-stimulation rewarding experiences in rats—a study on alteration in dendritic branching in pyramidal neurons of hippocampus and motor cortex. Brain Res 627:216–224

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Richter-Levin G (2004) The amygdala, the hippocampus, and emotional modulation of memory. Neuroscientist 10:31–39

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Richter-Levin G, Akirav I (2000) Amygdala–hippocampus dynamic interaction in relation to memory. Mol Neurobiol 22:11–20

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rolls ET (2000) Memory systems in the brain. Annu Rev Psychol 51:599–630

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Russo A, Borrelli F (2005) Bacopa monniera, a reputed nootropic plant: an overview. Phytomedicine 12:305–317

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sairam K, Dorababu M, Goel RK, Bhattacharya SK (2002) Antidepressant activity of standardized extract of Bacopa monniera in experimental models of depression in rats. Phytomedicine 9:207–211

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sharma PV (1988) Dravyaguna Vignana, 13th edn. Chaukhambha Publications, Vishwa Bharati Academy, New Delhi

    Google Scholar 

  • Sholl DA (1956) The organization of the cerebral cortex. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Shukla SD, Jain S, Sharma K, Bhatnagar M (2000) Stress induced neuron degeneration and protective effects of Semecarpus anacardium Linn. and Withania somnifera Dunn. in hippocampus of albino rats: an ultrastructural study. Indian J Exp Biol 38:1007–1113

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Singh HK, Dhawan BN (1982) Effect of Bacopa monniera (Brahmi) extract on avoidance responses in rats. J Ethnopharmacol 5:205–214

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Singh HK, Dhawan BN (1997) Neuropsychopharmacological effects of the Ayurvedic nootropic Bacopa monniera Linn. (Brahmi). Indian J Pharmacol 29:S359–S365

    Google Scholar 

  • Squire LR, Schlapfer WT (1981) Handbook of biological psychiatry. In: Vanpraag HM, Lader MH, Rafaelsen OJ, Sachar EJ (eds) Raven, New York

  • Standring S (2008) Gray’s Anatomy, 40th edn. Elsevier, New York

  • Stough C, Lloyd J, Clarke J et al (2001) The chronic effects of an extract of Bacopa monniera (Brahmi) on cognitive function in healthy human subjects. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 156:481–484

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tripathi YB, Chaurasia S, Tripathi E, Upadhyay A, Dubey GP (1996) Bacopa monniera Linn. as an antioxidant: mechanism of action. Indian J Exp Biol 34:523–526

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • van-der-Zee EA, Luiten PG (1999) Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in the hippocampus, neocortex and amygdala: a review of immunocytochemical localization in relation to learning and memory. Prog Neurobiol 58:409–471

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vincent R (2002) Anti-stress effect of Ocimum sanctum on rat CNS—an experimental study. PhD thesis. MAHE-Deemed University, Manipal, India

  • Vohora D, Pal SN, Pillai KK (2000) Protection from phenytoin-induced cognitive deficit by Bacopa monniera, a reputed Indian nootropic plant. J Ethnopharmacol 71:383–390

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vollala VR, Upadhya S, Nayak S (2011) Learning and memory-enhancing effect of Bacopa monniera in neonatal rats. Bratislava Med J (in press)

  • Vyas A, Mitra R, Rao BSS, Chattarji S (2002) Chronic stress induces contrasting patterns of dendritic remodelling in hippocampal and amygdaloid neurons. J Neurosci 22:6810–6818

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Warrier PK, Nambiar VPK, Ramankutty C (1996) Indian medicinal plants. Orient Longman, Bangalore

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors sincerely thank M/s. Natural Remedies Private Limited for supplying the BM extract and Manipal University (MU) for providing experimental facilities to carry out this work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Adilabad, Andhra Pradesh, India

    Venkata Ramana Vollala

  2. Department of Physiology, St. George’s University School of Medicine, Grenada, West Indies

    Subramanya Upadhya

  3. Department of Anatomy, Melaka Manipal Medical College (Manipal Campus), Manipal University, Karnataka, India

    Satheesha Nayak

Authors
  1. Venkata Ramana Vollala
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Subramanya Upadhya
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Satheesha Nayak
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Venkata Ramana Vollala.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Vollala, V.R., Upadhya, S. & Nayak, S. Enhanced dendritic arborization of amygdala neurons during growth spurt periods in rats orally intubated with Bacopa monniera extract. Anat Sci Int 86, 179–188 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12565-011-0104-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12565-011-0104-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation