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Asiatic acid prevents the quinolinic acid-induced oxidative stress and cognitive impairment

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Abstract

Increased accumulation of endogenous neurotoxin quinolinic acid has been found in various neurodegenerative diseases. Oxidative stress caused by quinolinic acid is considered as imperative factor for its toxicity. Asiatic acid, a natural triterpene is widely studied for its various medicinal values. In the present study the effects of asiatic acid in preventing the cognitive impairment and oxidative stress caused by quinolinic acid was investigated. Male Spraque-Dawley rats were orally administered asiatic acid (30 mg/kg/day) for 28 days, while quinolinic acid toxicity-induced animals received quinolinic acid (1.5 mmol/kg/day) from day 15 to day 28 for 14 days. Asiatic acid administration prevented the loss of spatial memory caused due to quinolinic acid-induced toxicity as determined using the novel object location test. In addition, asiatic acid administration alleviated the deleterious effect of quinolinic acid in brain such as increased oxidative stress, decreased antioxidant status and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation dysfunction. These data demonstrate that asiatic acid through its potent antioxidant and cognition enhancement property prevented the neuronal impairments caused by quinolinic acid.

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Acknowledgements

This research was funded by Science and Engineering Research Board, India under National Post-Doctoral Fellowship scheme (Ref. No. PDF/2015/000252). Dr. L. Chitra acknowledges Science and Engineering Research Board, India for the award of National Post-Doctoral Fellowship (Ref. No. PDF/2015/000252).

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  1. Department of Biochemistry, Periyar University, Salem, Tamil Nadu, 636011, India

    Chitra Loganathan & Palvannan Thayumanavan

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  1. Chitra Loganathan
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  2. Palvannan Thayumanavan
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Correspondence to Palvannan Thayumanavan.

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Animal studies

All the animal experiments were duly approved by the Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CPCSEA), Reg No: PU/IAEC 1085/PU/OC/07/CPCSEA/Biochem/03/2016, Periyar University, Salem, Tamil Nadu, India. All procedures performed in studies involving animals were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institution.

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Loganathan, C., Thayumanavan, P. Asiatic acid prevents the quinolinic acid-induced oxidative stress and cognitive impairment. Metab Brain Dis 33, 151–159 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11011-017-0143-9

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