Cerebroprotective activity of Pentapetes phoenicea on global cerebral ischemia in rats

The study was performed to evaluate the cerebroprotective activity of methanolic extract (ME) of Pentapetes phoenicea - a folk medicine used as anti-inflammatory and in central nervous system ailments. It has high phenolic and flavonoid contents including rutin.

Global cerebral ischemia was induced in male albino Wistar rats by temporary bilateral carotid artery occlusion (BCAO) for 30 min, followed by 4 h reperfusion. Groups of rats were pretreated for 10 days with 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg of ME of P. phoenicea and 3 mg/kg of edaravone, a marketed cerebroprotective agent, as standard. Antioxidant enzymes such as, the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), protein content, brain water content, cerebral infarct size and the histopathological changes were measured.

P. phoenicea-pretreated groups restored the biochemical parameters significantly in a dose-dependent manner. The ischemic changes were involved with an increase in the concentration of MDA and H₂O₂, followed by decreased SOD, CAT, GPx, GR, and GST activity in rat brain. The neurodegenaration and its attenuation by P. phoenicea were confirmed by examination of triphenyl tetrazolium chloride staining and histopathological changes in the cerebral ischemic rat brains. Similarly, P. phoenicea reversed the brain water content in the ischemia-reperfusion animals.

The result of the study indicates that the treatment with P. phoenicea enhances the antioxidant defense against BCAO-induced global cerebral ischemia/reperfusion and exerts cerebroprotection.