Friday, June 06, 2008

Study: Propolis May Help Prevent Alzheimer's Disease

Water-Soluble Derivative of Propolis Mitigates Scopolamine-Induced Learning and Memory Impairment in Mice
Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, Article in Press, Corrected Proof

Abstract: The water-soluble derivative of propolis (WSDP) was prepared from fresh Chinese propolis. Its major constituents were identified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis.

It has been reported that propolis possessed a broad spectrum of biological activities but including few studies on learning and memory by now. Thus, this study was aimed to investigate the effect of WSDP on scopolamine-induced learning and memory impairment in mice…

The results from 100 mg/kg WSDP group showed significant mitigation scopolamine-induced amnesia in mice. Furthermore, WSDP's effect on the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus was also assayed. As a result, WSDP (100 mg/kg) significantly inhibited AChE activity in the hippocampus of scopolamine-treated mice.

These results indicated that WSDP may mitigate amnesia in vivo through inhibition of AChE activity in the hippocampus, which suggested propolis may have potential as a pharmaceutical of brain protection with elderly population for preventing Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative diseases.

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