• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.150-156
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• 2007

Bacopa monnieri is being used in the traditional system of medicine for a variety of ailments. In the present study, the ethanolic extract of Bacopa monnieri aerial parts has been studied for its wound healing activity using various models in rats. Significant increase in wound contraction and skin breaking strength were observed in the excision and incision wound models respectively. There was also significant increase in hydroxyproline content, DNA content, superoxide dismutase activity, catalase activity, glutathione level and decrease in the level of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in the $12^{th}$ day post wounding tissue of experimental rats in the ethanol extract treated groups with respect to the control group. The effect of the extract was found to be comparable with the standard drug nitrofurazone. From the results it may be concluded that the plant Bacopa monnieri is endowed with significant wound healing activity, thereby justifying its use in the traditional medicine. Saponins may be responsible for the observed wound healing activity.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.61-67
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• 2007

The ethanolic extract of Bacopa monnieri Linn. aerial parts were studied far its hepatoprotective effect on $CCl_4-induced$ hepatotoxic rats. The extract was found to decrease significantly $CCl_4-induced$ elevation of SGOT, SGPT, ALP, bilirubin and total cholesterol. But, it increased HDL-cholesterol level and liver weight with respect to $CCl_4$ toxic rats. The extract was also found to decrease significantly the $CCl_4-induced$ elevation of lipid peroxidation and increase the activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD and CAT) and GSH level in the liver of extract treated rats when compared with $CCl_4$ induced rats. Histopatholosical profiles showed that the extract had significant protective effect against $CCl_4-induced$ liver injury, which corroborates the above findings. Hence it may be possible that the mechanism of hepatoprotection of the extract is due to its antioxidant effect.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.297-303
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• 2007

The ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) and n-butanol fraction (NBF) of ethanolic extract of Bacopa monnieri aerial parts were screened for hepatoprotective activity and in vivo antioxidant activity on ethanol-induced hepatotoxic rats. Ethyl acetate fraction was found to be more potent even though both the fractions were endowed with significant hepatoprotective activity. EAF and NBF were investigated for hepatoprotective activity in albino rats at 300 mg/kg, p.o. dose and compared with standard drug Silymarin (25 mg/kg, p.o.). Results show that both the fractions were effective in blunting ethanol-induced enhanced activities of serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase, serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, level of serum bilirubin (both total and direct), liver weight loss and was also effective in reducing ethanol-induced lipid peroxidation both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, the fractions could also enhance ethanol-induced suppressed activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase and decreased level of reduced glutathione. Results of hepatocellular damage caused by ethanol and its recovery by EAF and NBF, suggest that they might be considered as a potential source of natural hepatoprotective agents, which could be related to the free radical scavenging properties of saponins present in high concentration in the fractions.

• Laboraroty Animal Research
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.239-247
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• 2018

Bacopa monnieri is a medicinal plant with a long history of use in Ayurveda, especially in the treatment of poor memory and cognitive deficits. In the present study, we hypothesized that Bacopa monnieri extract (BME) can improve memory via increased cell proliferation and neuroblast differentiation in the dentate gyrus. BME was administered to 7-week-old mice once a day for 4 weeks and a novel object recognition memory test was performed. Thereafter, the mice were euthanized followed by immunohistochemistry analysis for Ki67, doublecortin (DCX), and phosphorylated cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB), and western blot analysis of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). BME-treated mice showed moderate increases in the exploration of new objects when compared with that of familiar objects, leading to a significant higher discrimination index compared with vehicle-treated mice. Ki67 and DCX immunohistochemistry showed a facilitation of cell proliferation and neuroblast differentiation following the administration of BME in the dentate gyrus. In addition, administration of BME significantly elevated the BDNF protein expression in the hippocampal dentate gyrus, and increased CREB phosphorylation in the dentate gyrus. These data suggest that BME improves novel object recognition by increasing the cell proliferation and neuroblast differentiation in the dentate gyrus, and this may be closely related to elevated levels of BDNF and CREB phosphorylation in the dentate gyrus.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.993-1014
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• 2020

Objective: Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's disease. Antioxidant stress and inflammatory reactions are important causes of neurodegenerative diseases and are major causes of PD. Many animal experiments have been aimed at treating PD using the antioxidant effects of various traditional medicines and dietary supplements. This review reports the research investigating the antioxidant effects of herbs in in vivo PD models. Methods: The study consisted of a database search for articles related to PD and herbal treatments using the OASIS, NDSL, KTKP, Korean KISS, PubMed, Science Direct, CNKI, Wanfang, and J-STAGE databases. The search period was limited from the start of the search engine application to November 14, 2019. Studies were selected to confirm the antioxidant effects of herbal medicines in an in vivo PD model. Results: Eighty-two studies were summarized for plant species, extracts (or compounds), animal models, neurotoxins, and functional results. The most frequently used herbal materials were Bacopa monnieri, Camellia sinensis, Centella asiatica, and Withania somnifera. MPTP and 6-OHDA were the most commonly used neurotoxins for inducing PD. Most studies confirmed an increased expression and activation of antioxidant enzymes and a decrease in oxidative stress. Herbal materials showed their antioxidant effects regardless of the order of treatment and confirmed their possible use as treatments for the prevention and treatment of neurodegeneration. Conclusion: Many herbal medicines have antioxidant effects and are likely to be effective in delaying neurodegenerative damage by inhibiting or reducing oxidative stress by expression of antioxidant enzymes.