Cognitive enhancement and Neuroprotective effect of Celastrus paniculatus Willd. seed oil (Jyothismati oil) on male Wistar rats.

Amongst the various functions of the brain, one of the most interesting is the ability to acquire new information and store them for further retrieval. Learning is a process of acquiring new information, while memory refers to the persistence of a change in behaviour overtime, in a state that can be retrieved later. Several Central Nervous System disorders (CNS) are often associated with impairment in cognitive functions. Alzheimer’s disease has aprimary impact on learning and memory and other disorders like schizophrenia, bipolar depression are associated with secondary deficits in learning and memory functions. The mechanisms underlying learning and memory include an interaction between the various neurotransmitter systems, amongst which the central cholinergic function is known to play a prominent role. Estimation of Acetyl Choline Esterase (AChE) activity provides a relatively easy and valuable assessment of cholinergic function. In this context the Jyothismati oil from seeds of Celastrus paniculatus, widely used in the indigenous medicinal systems to treat brain related disorders was used to determine its effect on the learning process in the adult male Wistar rats. To study effect on learning and memory radial arm maze paradigm was used. The data indicated enhancement in radial armmaze acquisition with chronic administration of CP oil (400 mg/kg body weight). A decrease in AChE activity was noted in the treated animals leading to increased cholinergic activity in the brain. There was significant decrease in the AChE activity assayed from hypothalamus, frontal cortex and hippocampus of the rat brain treated with 400 mg/kg body weight. No side effects were observed with administration of the seed oil.