Effects of Ocimum basilicum L. Extract on Hippocampal Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and BDNF Expression in Amnesic Aged Rats

ABSTRACT

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of Ocimum basilicum L. (OB) extract on learning and memory impairment in aged rats. Male rats were divided into the following experimental groups: Group 1 (control): including 2 months old rats, Group 2 (aged) including 2 years old rats, Groups 3–5 (aged-OB): including 2 years old rats received 50, 100, and 150 mg/kg OB for 8 weeks by oral gavage. Aging increased the delay to find the platform but, however, decreased the time spent in the target quadrant when tested by Morris water maze (MWM). Aging also reduced the latency to enter the dark chamber in the passive avoidance (PA) test compared to the control group. Moreover, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were raised in the hippocampus and cortex of aged rats. In contrast, thiol levels and enzymatic activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) significantly reduced. In addition, aging significantly reduced BDNF expression. Finally, OB administration reversed the mentioned effects. The current research showed that OB administration improves learning/memory impairment induced by aging. It also found that this plant extract protects the brain tissues from oxidative damage and neuroinflammation.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Student Research Committee of Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences and Vice-Chancellery for Research and education of Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences for providing financial supports. Also, we would like to thank and commemorate Dr Milad Hashemzehi, who unfortunately passed away very recently, for his kind assistance and brilliance in the lab.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data Availability Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Ethics Approval

IR.THUMS.REC.1396.55.

Additional information

Funding

The authors declare that no funds, grants, or other support were received during the preparation of this manuscript.