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Anti-amnesic activity of Citrus aurantium flowers extract against scopolamine-induced memory impairments in rats

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Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurological disorder that mostly affects the elderly population. Learning and memory impairment as the most characteristic manifestation of dementia could be induced chemically by scopolamine, a cholinergic antagonist. Cholinergic neurotransmission mediated brain oxidative stress. Citrus aurantium (CA) has traditionally been used for the treatment of insomnia, anxiety and epilepsy. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of Citrus aurantium on scopolamine-induced learning and memory deficit in rats. Forty-two Wistar rats were divided into six equal groups. (1) Control (received saline), (2) SCOP (scopolamine at a dose of 1 mg/kg for 15 days), (3) and (4) SCOP + CA (scopolamine and CA extract at doses of 300 and 600 mg/kg per day for 15 days), (5) and (6) intact groups (CA extract at 300 and 600 mg/kg per day for 15 days, respectively). Administration of CA flower extract significantly restored memory and learning impairments induced by scopolamine in the passive avoidance test and also reduced escape latency during trial sessions in the Morris water maze test. Citrus aurantium flower extract significantly decreased the serum malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. Citrus aurantium flower extract has repairing effects on memory and behavioral disorders produced by scopolamine and may have beneficial effects in the treatment of AD.

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Acknowledgments

This study was conducted with the assistance of Medical Plants Research Center of Shahrekord University of Medical Science and was approved by the Ethics Committee of Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences. Authors also would like to thank Research and Technology Deputy of Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences for their financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Plants Research Center, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran

    Samira Rahnama, Zahra Rabiei, Zahra Alibabaei, Shiva Mokhtari & Mahmoud Rafieian-kopaei

  2. Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Health Faculty, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran

    Fatemeh Deris

Authors
  1. Samira Rahnama
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  2. Zahra Rabiei
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  3. Zahra Alibabaei
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  4. Shiva Mokhtari
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  5. Mahmoud Rafieian-kopaei
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  6. Fatemeh Deris
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Correspondence to Mahmoud Rafieian-kopaei.

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Rahnama, S., Rabiei, Z., Alibabaei, Z. et al. Anti-amnesic activity of Citrus aurantium flowers extract against scopolamine-induced memory impairments in rats. Neurol Sci 36, 553–560 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-014-1991-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-014-1991-2

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