Abstract Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathogenesis is linked to amyloid plaque accumulation, neuronal loss, and brain inammation. Ficus erecta Thunb. is a food and medicinal plant used to treat inammatory diseases. Methods: we investigated the neuroprotective effects of F. erecta Thunb. against cognitive decit and neuronal damage in a mouse model of amyloid-β (Aβ)-induced AD. Results: First, we conrmed the inhibitory effects of ethanol extracts of F. erecta (EEFE) leaves on Aβ aggregation in vivo and in vitro. Next, behavioral tests (passive avoidance task and Morris water maze) revealed EEFE markedly improved cognitive impairment in Aβ-injected mice. Furthermore, EEFE reduced neuronal loss and the expression of neuronal nuclei (NeuN), a neuronal marker, in brain tissues of Aβinjected mice. EEFE signicantly reversed Aβ-induced suppression of cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) phosphorylation and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression, indicating neuroprotection was mediated by CREB/BDNF signaling. Moreover, EEFE signicantly suppressed the inammatory cytokines interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and expression of ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba-1), a marker of microglial activation, in brain tissues of Aβ-injected mice, suggesting anti-neuroinammatory effects.
… Chemicals, Reagents, And Sample Preparation For Quantitative Analysis
Three standard compounds (
rutin,
chlorogenic acid, and
kaempferol-3-O-
rutinoside) were purchased from
Biopurify Phytochemicals …
