Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Bacosides and Neuroprotection

  • Reference work entry
  • First Online:
Natural Products

Abstract

Bacosides are the putative bioactive component of the Indian medicinal plant Bacopa monnieri which was placed second in the most important medicinal plants’ list by the Export-Import Bank of India. Among the bacoside components, bacoside A was found to be more pharmacologically active than bacoside B. Traditionally, Bacopa has been used in ayurvedic medicines as a cure for mental disorders and loss of memory. Later on, other pharmacological properties like antioxidant, antidepressant, antiulcer, hepatoprotective, anticancerous, vasodilator, smooth muscle relaxant, mast cell stabilizer, and various other functions are revealed. Increasing clinical trials indicate the potential role of bacosides even in Alzheimer’s disease and in epilepsy. Bacosides attribute to the neuroprotective function mainly through modulating antioxidant enzymes, namely, SOD, catalase, etc. Bacosides also regulate the levels of different neurotransmitters in the brain. Interestingly, bacosides do not exert any side effects as proven both in animal models and in human volunteers. These features render B. monnieri as well as bacosides pharmacologically immensely important.

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

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 2,999.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 549.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

5-HT:

Serotonin

ALP:

Alkaline phosphatase

AMPA:

2-amino-3-(5-methyl-3-oxo-1,2- oxazol-4-yl) propanoic acid

AS:

Acute stress

BME:

Bacopa monnieri extract

CA1:

Cornu ammonis 1

CAT:

Catalase

CNS:

Central nervous system

CUS:

Chronic unpredictable stress

DA:

Dopamine

EROD:

7-ethoxyresorufin-o-deethylase

GABA:

γ-aminobutyric acid

GPx:

Glutathione peroxidase

GSH:

Glutathione

GST:

Glutathione S-transferase

Hsp70:

Heat shock protein 70

IBS:

Irritable bowel syndrome

IPP:

Isopentenyl pyrophosphate

LPO:

Lipid peroxidation

NA:

Noradrenaline

NOS:

Nitric oxide synthase

PMN cells:

Polymorphonuclear cells

PROD:

7-pentoxyresorufin-o-dealkylase

SOD:

Super oxide dismutase

References

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

    Google Scholar 

  2. Mukherjee DG, Dey CD (1966) Clinical trial on Brahmi. I. J Exp Med Sci 10:5–11

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. 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  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. 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  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Rao CV, Sairam K, Goel RK (2000) Experimental evaluation of Bacopa monniera on rat gastric ulceration and secretion. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol 44:435–441

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Elangovan V, Govindasamy S, Ramamoorthy N, Balasubramanian K (1995) In vitro studies on the anticancer activity of Bacopa monniera. Fitoterapia 66:211–215

    Google Scholar 

  7. Dar A, Channa S (1997) Relaxant effect of ethanol extract of Bacopa monniera on trachea, pulmonary artery and aorta from rabbit and guinea-pig. Phytother Res 11:323–325

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Channa S, Dar A, Yaqoob M, Anjum S, Sultani Z, Rahman A (2003) Broncho-vasodilatatory activity of fractions and pure constituents isolated from Bacopa monniera. J Ethnopharmacol 86:27–35

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Samiulla DS, Prashanth D, Amit A (2001) Mast cell stabilising activity of Bacopa monnieri. Fitoterapia 72:284–285

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Levi MS, Brimble MA (2004) A review of neuroprotective agents. Curr Med Chem 11:2383–2397

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Singh HK, Dhawan BN (1992) Drugs affecting learning and memory. In: Tandon PN, Bijiani V, Wadhwa S (eds) Lectures in neurobiology, vol 1. Wiley Eastern, New Delhi

    Google Scholar 

  12. Rastogi S, Pal R, Kulshreshtha DK (1994) Bacoside A3-a triterpenoid saponins from Bacopa monnieri. Phytochemistry 36:133–137

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Singh HK, Rastogi RP, Srimal RC, Dhawan BN (1988) Effect of bacosides A and B on avoidance responses in rats. Phytother Res 2:70–75

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Roodenrys S, Booth D, Bulzomi S, Phipps A, Micallef C, Smoker J (2002) Chronic effects of Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri) on human memory. Neuropsychopharmacology 27:279–281

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Kishore K, Singh M (2005) Effect of bacosides, alcoholic extract of Bacopa monniera Linn. (brahmi), on experimental amnesia in mice. Indian J Exp Biol 43:640–645

    Google Scholar 

  16. Anbarasi K, Vani G, Balakrishna K, Devi CS (2006) Effect of bacoside A on brain antioxidant status in cigarette smoke exposed rats. Life Sci 78:1378–1384

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Anbarasi K, Sabitha KE, Devi CS (2005) Lactate dehydrogenase isoenzyme patterns upon chronic exposure to cigarette smoke: protective effect of bacoside A. Environ Toxicol Pharmacol 20:345–350

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Halliwell B, Gutteridge JM (1985) The importance of free radicals and catalytic metal ions in human diseases. Mol Aspects Med 8:89–193

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. 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  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Stough C, Lloyd J, Clarke J, Downey LA, Hutchison CW, Rodgers T, Nathan PJ (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 

  21. Shukia B, Khanna NK, Godhwani JL (1987) Effect of Brahmi Rasayan on the central nervous system. J Ethnopharmacol 21:65–74

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Sheikh N, Ahmad A, Siripurapu KB, Kuchibhotla VK, Singh S, Palit G (2007) Effect of Bacopa monniera on stress induced changes in plasma corticosterone and brain monoamines in rats. J Ethnopharmacol 111:671–676

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Mathew J, Peeyush Kumar T, Khan RS, Paulose CS (2010) Behavioral deficit and decreased GABA receptor functional regulation in the cerebellum of epileptic rats: effect of Bacopa monnieri and bacoside A. Epilepsy Behav 17:441–447

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Hota SK, Barhwal K, Baitharu I, Prasad D, Singh SB, Ilavazhagan G (2009) Bacopa monniera leaf extract ameliorates hypobaric hypoxia induced spatial memory impairment. Neurobiol Dis 34:23–39

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Jyoti A, Sethi P, Sharma D (2007) Bacopa monniera prevents from aluminium neurotoxicity in the cerebral cortex of rat brain. J Ethnopharmacol 111:56–62

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Holcomb LA, Dhanasekaran M, Hitt AR, Young KA, Riggs M, Manyam BV (2006) Bacopa monniera extract reduces amyloid levels in PSAPP mice. J Alzheimers Dis 9:243–251

    Google Scholar 

  27. Singh M, Murthy V, Ramassamy C (2010) Modulation of hydrogen peroxide and acrolein-induced oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunctions and redox regulated pathways by the Bacopa monniera extract: potent implication in Alzheimer’s disease. J Alzheimers Dis 21:219–247

    Google Scholar 

  28. Vijayan V, Helen A (2007) Protective activity of Bacopa monniera Linn. on nicotine-induced toxicity in mice. Phytother Res 21:378–381

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Chowdhuri DK, Parmar D, Kakkar P, Shukla R, Seth PK, Srimal RC (2002) Antistress effects of bacosides of Bacopa monnieri: modulation of Hsp70 expression, superoxide dismutase and cytochrome P450 activity in rat brain. Phytother Res 16:639–645

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. 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. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 73:893–900

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Sumathy T, Subramanian S, Govindasamy S, Balakrishna K, Veluchamy G (2001) Protective role of Bacopa monniera on morphine induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Phytother Res 15:643–645.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Singh A, Singh SK (2009) Evaluation of antifertility potential of Brahmi in male mouse. Contraception 79:71–79

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Sivaramakrishna C, Rao CV, Trimurtulu G, Vanisree M, Subbaraju GV (2005) Triterpenoid glycosides from Bacopa monnieri. Phytochemistry 66:2719–2728

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Deepak M, Amit A (2004) The need for establishing the identities of ‘bacoside A and B’, the putative major bioactive saponins of Indian medicinal plant Bacopa monnieri. Phytomedicine 11:264–268

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Basu N, Rastogi RP, Dhar ML (1967) Chemical examination of Bacopa monnieri Wettst: Part III-Bacoside B. Ind J Chem 5:84–86

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Garai S, Mahato SB, Ohtani K, Yamasaki K (1996) Dammarane-type triterpenoid saponins from Bacopa monniera. Phytochemistry 42:815–820

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Chakravarty AK, Sarkar T, Masuda K, Shiojima K, Nakane T, Kawahara N (2001) Bacopaside I and II: two pseudojujubogenin glycosides from Bacopa monniera. Phytochemistry 58:553–556

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Chakravarty AK, Garai S, Masuda K, Nakane T, Kawahara N (2003) Bacopasides III-V: three new triterpenoid glycosides from Bacopa monniera. Chem Pharm Bull, Tokyo 51:215–217.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Hostettmann K, Marston A (1995) Saponins. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Book  Google Scholar 

  40. Croteau R, Kutchan TM, Lewis NG (2000) Natural products (secondary metabolites). In: Buchanan B, Gruissem W, Jones R (eds) Biochemistry & molecular biology of plants. American Society of Plant Physiologists, Rockville

    Google Scholar 

  41. James JT, Dubery IA (2009) Pentacyclic triterpenoids from the medicinal herb, Centella asiatica (L.) urban. Molecules 14:3922–3941

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Pawar R, Gopalakrishnan C, Bhutani KK (2001) Dammarane triterpene saponin from Bacopa monniera as the superoxide inhibitor in polymorphonuclear cells. Planta Med 67:752–754

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Bafna PA, Balaraman R (2005) Antioxidant activity of DHC-1, an herbal formulation, in experimentally-induced cardiac and renal damage. Phytother Res 19:216–221

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Sairam K, Rao CV, Babu MD, Goel RK (2001) Prophylactic and curative effects of Bacopa monniera in gastric ulcer models. Phytomedicine 8:423–430

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Goel RK, Sairam K, Babu MD, Tavares IA, Raman A (2003) In vitro evaluation of Bacopa monniera on anti-Helicobacter pylori activity and accumulation of prostaglandins. Phytomedicine 10:523–527

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Kar A, Panda S, Bharti S (2002) Relative efficacy of three medicinal plant extracts in the alteration of thyroid hormone concentrations in male mice. J Ethnopharmacol 81:281–285

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Russo A, Borrelli F, Campisi A, Acquaviva R, Raciti G, Vanella A (2003) Nitric oxide-related toxicity in cultured astrocytes: effect of Bacopa monniera. Life Sci 73:1517–1526

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Russo A, Izzo AA, Borrelli F, Renis M, Vanella A (2003) Free radical scavenging capacity and protective effect of Bacopa monniera L. on DNA damage. Phytother Res 17:870–875

    Article  Google Scholar 

  49. Sharma R, Chaturvedi C, Tewari PV (1987) Efficacy of Bacopa monnieri in revitalizing intellectual functions in children. J Res Edu Ind Med 1:1–12

    Google Scholar 

  50. Gohil KJ, Patel JA (2010) A review on Bacopa monniera: current research and future prospects. Int J Green Pharm 4:1–9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  51. Sukumar E, Gopal RH, Rao RB, Kundu AB, Viswanathan S, Thirugnanasambandam P, Gopalakrishnan C (1991) Pharmacological investigations on Pristimera grahamii leaves. Fitoterapia 62:429–433

    Google Scholar 

  52. Dar A, Channa S (1999) Calcium antagonistic activity of Bacopa monniera on vascular and intestinal smooth muscles of rabbit and guinea-pig. J Ethnopharmacol 66:167–174

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  53. Sahoo PK, Pradhan D, Behera P (2010) Neuroprotective effect of Bacopa monnieri leaf extract targeted at adenosine receptor in diabetic neuropathic pain. J Pharm Res 3:1806–1809

    Google Scholar 

  54. Bhattacharya SK, Ghosal S (1998) Anxiolytic activity of a standardized extract of Bacopa monniera: an experimental study. Phytomedicine 5:77–82

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  55. Singh RH, Singh L (1980) Studies on the anti-anxiety effect of the Medyha Rasayana drug, Brahmi (Bacopa monniera Wettst.) - Part 1. J Res Ayur Siddha 1:133–148

    Google Scholar 

  56. Saraf MK, Prabhakar S, Khanduja KL, Anand A (2011) Bacopa monniera attenuates scopolamine-induced impairment of spatial memory in mice. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. doi:10.1093/ecam/neq038

    Google Scholar 

  57. Majumdar S, Garai S, Jha S (2011) Genetic transformation of Bacopa monnieri by wild type strains of Agrobacterium rhizogenes stimulates production of bacopa saponins in transformed calli and plants. Plant Cell Rep. doi:10.1007/s00299-011-1035-9

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany, Centre of Advanced Study, University of Calcutta, 35 Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata, 700 019, India

    Sukanya Majumdar, Mihir Halder & Dr. Sumita Jha

  2. Department of Genetics, University of Calcutta, 35 Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata, 700 019, India

    Amrita Basu & Pijush Paul

Authors
  1. Sukanya Majumdar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Amrita Basu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Pijush Paul
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Mihir Halder
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Dr. Sumita Jha
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sumita Jha .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Botany Department, M.L. Sukhadia University, Durga Nursery Road, Udaipur, 313001, Rajasthan, India

    Kishan Gopal Ramawat

  2. Institute of Vine and Wine Sciences, Biological-Active Plant Substances Study, University of Bordeaux, 210 Chemin de Leysotte CS 50008, Villenave d'Ornon, 33882, France

    Jean-Michel Mérillon

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this entry

Cite this entry

Majumdar, S., Basu, A., Paul, P., Halder, M., Jha, S. (2013). Bacosides and Neuroprotection. In: Ramawat, K., Mérillon, JM. (eds) Natural Products. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-22144-6_157

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation