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ABSTRACT
Bryophyllum pinnatum (BP) is a natural plant that may possess a neuroprotective impact against aluminum-induced neurotoxicity and vinpocetine is one medication that is thought to be useful in treating Alzheimer's disease (AD). This research aimed to determine the effect of bryophyllum pinnatum on aluminum chloride-induced Alzheimer’s disease animal models exposed to vinpocetine. It compared changes in AD-related signs after administration of BP to aluminum chloride-induced Alzheimer’s disease animal models exposed to vinpocetine by carrying out antioxidant activity determination and cognitive function test. A total of twenty (20) Wistar rats were used in this study. After acclimatization for two weeks, the rats were separated into 4 major groups with 5 rats (n=5) in each group. The control group (group 1) was given normal feed and water, and groups 2, 3 and 4 were exposed to concentrations of 175mg/kg of aluminum chloride for 25 days to induce Alzheimer's disease after which they were given normal saline for 3 days before being treated with 125mg/kg Bryophyllum pinnatum (BP) and a combination of 125mg/kg Bryophyllum pinnatum (BP) and 4mg/kg vinpocetine for two weeks. Group 2 was only induced with Alzheimer's disease, group 3 received treatment with Bryophyllum pinnatum (BP) only and group 4 received Bryophyllum pinnatum (BP) and vinpocetine combined. The animals were sacrificed at the end of the second week of treatment by cervical dislocation and blood samples were obtained by cardiac puncture for analysis to determine the changes in Catalase (CAT), Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), Glutathione Peroxidase (GPx) and Malondialdehyde (MDA). Elevated plus maze and Y maze test were carried out prior to obtaining blood samples. Statistical analysis was done using GraphPad Prism version 8.0.1. Results were presented as Mean ± standard error of the mean. Analysis of variance was used to compare the means of tests and control and a P value of less than 0.05 was considered as statistically significance. Results showed significant increases in the Alzheimer’s disease group treated with Bryophyllum pinnatum only and a combination of Bryophyllum pinnatum and Vinpocetine compared with the control for SOD activity and a significant increase for MDA in the Alzheimer’s disease group treated with combined Bryophyllum pinnatum and Vinpocetine compared with the control. There were no significant changes in the Alzheimer’s disease only and other treated groups compared with the control for catalase and glutathione peroxidase activity. Cognitive function tests showed a significant decrease in the Alzheimer’s disease group treated with BP only compared with the control for the number of entries (close arm) in the elevated plus maze in Alzheimer’s diseaseinduced rats with no significant changes in the Alzheimer’s disease only and other treated groups compared with the control for the number of entries (open arm), duration of entries (open arm), duration of entries (close arm) in the elevated plus maze and duration of entries (open arm) in Y-maze in Alzheimer’s disease-induced rats. This led to the conclusion that Bryophyllum pinnatum (BP), singly or in combination with Vinpocetine can serve as a therapeutic approach to treating AD by modulating superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MAD) concentrations in the blood; and also BP might have a very low effect on cognitive function (anxiety).
