Activity of Citrus aurantium and Lavandula angustifolia in Alzheimer’s Disease  Symptoms in Male Wistar Rats

Amir Arasteh; Morteza  Karimpour; Faezeh  Fallah; Sara  Kiani; Maedeh  Kakavan

doi:10.18502/ajmb.v15i4.13492

Amir Arasteh Department of Biology, Rasht branch, Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran
Morteza Karimpour Department of Biology, Rasht branch, Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran
Faezeh Fallah Department of Biology, Islamic Azad University, Central Tehran branch, Tehran, Iran
Sara Kiani Department of Biology, Islamic Azad University, Central Tehran branch, Tehran, Iran
Maedeh Kakavan Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ajmb.v15i4.13492

Keywords: Amyloid beta-peptides, Antioxidants, Brain, Citrus, Lavandula, Neurodegenerative diseas-es, Norepinephrine, Rats, Serotonin

Abstract

Background: Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is one of the most prevalent chronic neurodegenerative disorders. The present study aims to better understand the mechanism by which Citrus aurantium (C. aurantium) and Lavandula angustifolia (L. angustifolia) hydro–alcoholic extracts were used to treat AD and anti–oxidant issues in a laboratory model.

Methods: 15 male Wistar rats, weighing 250±20 gr, aged 6–8 weeks, were used. Amyloids in the brain were found and identified using the shuttle box and Congo red test. ELISA testing for norepinephrine and serotonin, Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), Malon-dialdehyde (MDA), and Real–time PCR for expression of the APP and GLT1 genes were done.

Results: The shuttle box test demonstrated that AD produces behavioral harm, since it significantly reduces passive avoidance learning. The Congo red test revealed that the AD models had much more amyloid beta in their brain tissue than the control. Norepinephrine levels were also decreased by using both extracts in test group. Treatment with both extracts led to a substantial rise in SOD activity and fall in MDA concentration.

Conclusion: The gene expression data indicated that the relative expression of the APP and GLT1 genes was shown to be lower in the groups treated with both extracts. C. aurantium and L. angustifolia may therefore offer a multi–target treatment strategy for AD, which calls for more research in this area.