Candidates for cognitive enhancer extracted from medicinal plants: paeoniflorin and tetramethylpyrazine

Behav Brain Res. 1997 Feb;83(1-2):135-41. doi: 10.1016/s0166-4328(97)86057-3.

Abstract

A traditional Chinese medicine, Shimotsu-to, consisting of four herbs: Japanese angelica root, cnidium rhizome, peony root and rehmannia root, has been reported to improve spatial working memory in rats. The present results indicate that Paeoniflorin and tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) extracted from peony root and cnidium rhizome, respectively, are candidates for cognitive enhancer.

MeSH terms

  • Aging / psychology
  • Animals
  • Basal Ganglia / physiology
  • Benzoates*
  • Bridged-Ring Compounds*
  • Cognition / drug effects*
  • Discrimination Learning / drug effects
  • Free Radical Scavengers / pharmacology
  • Glucosides / pharmacology*
  • Male
  • Maze Learning / drug effects
  • Memory, Short-Term / drug effects
  • Monoterpenes
  • Nootropic Agents / isolation & purification
  • Nootropic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Plants, Medicinal / chemistry*
  • Pyrazines / pharmacology*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Inbred F344
  • Rats, Wistar

Substances

  • Benzoates
  • Bridged-Ring Compounds
  • Free Radical Scavengers
  • Glucosides
  • Monoterpenes
  • Nootropic Agents
  • Pyrazines
  • peoniflorin
  • tetramethylpyrazine