Caffeic acid attenuates oxidative stress, learning and memory deficit in intra-cerebroventricular streptozotocin induced experimental dementia in rats

Biomed Pharmacother. 2016 Jul:81:56-62. doi: 10.1016/j.biopha.2016.03.017. Epub 2016 Apr 9.

Abstract

Oxidative stress has been implicated in cognitive decline as seen during normal aging and in sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD). Caffeic acid, a polyphenolic compound, has been reported to possess potent antioxidant and neuroprotective properties. The role of caffeic acid in experimental dementia is not fully understood. Thus the present study was designed to investigate the therapeutic potential of caffeic acid in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced experimental dementia of Alzheimer's type in rats. Streptozotocin (STZ) was administered intracerebroventrically (ICV) on day 1 and 3 (3mg/kg, ICV bilaterally) in Wistar rats. Caffeic acid was administered (10, 20 and 40mg/kg/day p.o.) 1h following STZ infusion upto 21st day. Morris water maze and object recognition task were used to assess learning and memory in rats. Terminally, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity and the levels of oxido-nitrosative stress markers were determined in cortical and hippocampal brain regions of rats. STZ produced significant (p<0.001) learning and memory impairment, oxido-nitrosative stress and cholinergic deficit in rats. Whereas, caffeic acid treatment significantly (p<0.001) and dose dependently attenuated STZ induced behavioral and biochemical abnormalities in rats. The observed cognitive improvement following caffeic acid in STZ treated rats may be due to its antioxidant activity and restoration of cholinergic functions. Our results suggest the therapeutic potential of caffeic acid in cognitive disorders such as AD.

Keywords: Caffeic acid; Cognitive dysfunction; Oxidative stress; Sporadic dementia; Streptozotocin.

MeSH terms

  • Acetylcholinesterase / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Behavior, Animal / drug effects
  • Biomarkers / metabolism
  • Caffeic Acids / pharmacology
  • Caffeic Acids / therapeutic use*
  • Dementia / chemically induced*
  • Dementia / drug therapy*
  • Dementia / pathology
  • Dementia / physiopathology
  • Hippocampus / drug effects
  • Hippocampus / pathology
  • Hippocampus / physiopathology
  • Injections, Intraventricular
  • Learning / drug effects*
  • Male
  • Maze Learning / drug effects
  • Memory Disorders / complications
  • Memory Disorders / drug therapy*
  • Memory Disorders / physiopathology
  • Motor Activity / drug effects
  • Nitrites / metabolism
  • Oxidative Stress / drug effects*
  • Protein Carbonylation / drug effects
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Spatial Memory / drug effects
  • Streptozocin
  • Task Performance and Analysis

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Caffeic Acids
  • Nitrites
  • Streptozocin
  • Acetylcholinesterase
  • caffeic acid