Original article Gladiolus dalenii lyophilisate reverses scopolamine-induced amnesia and reduces oxidative stress in rat brain Gwladys Temkou Ngoupaye a,b, *, David Bougolla Pahaye c , Judith Ngondi d , Fleur Clarisse Okomolo Moto e , Elisabeth Ngo Bum c,f a School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4000, South Africa b Department of Animal Biology, University of Dschang, Dschang 67, Cameroon c Department of Biological Science, University of Ngaoundéré, Ngaoundéré 454, Cameroon d Laboratory of Nutrition and Nutritional Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé 812, Cameroon e Higher Teachers’ Training College, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé 47, Cameroon f Institute of Mines and Petroleum Industries, University of Maroua, Maroua 46, Cameroon A R T I C L E I N F O Article history: Received 20 February 2017 Received in revised form 6 April 2017 Accepted 13 April 2017 Keywords: Gladiolus dalenii Amnesia Acetylcholinesterase Antioxidant Scopolamine A B S T R A C T Learning and memory are the most important executive functions performed by the human brain, the loss of which is a prominent feature in dementia. Gladiolus dalenii is traditionally used to treat a number of illnesses such as epilepsy and schizophrenia in Cameroon. This study aims to investigate the anti- amnesia effect of Gladiolus dalenii in scopolamine-induced amnesia in rats and its possible antioxidant properties in this model. Morris water maze, novel object location and recognition tasks were used to assess spatial and working memory. Male rats were treated for 12 days with saline, G. dalenii or Tacrine. Experimental animals were co-treated with scopolamine once daily from day 9 to 12. Acetylcholines- terase activity was measured in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. Malondialdehyde and glutathione levels were measured in the hippocampus. G. dalenii reversed memory impairment induced by scopolamine in the Morris water maze, novel object location and recognition tasks. It decreased acetylcholinesterase activity in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. It also decreased the level of malondialdehyde and increased the level of glutathione in the hippocampus. The results of this study show that G. dalenii ameliorates the cognitive impairment induced by scopolamine, through inhibition of oxidative stress and enhancement of cholinergic neurotransmission. It can therefore be useful for treatment of conditions associated with memory dysfunction as seen in dementia. © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Dementia is a syndrome of progressive deterioration of cognitive abilities associated with psychiatric and behavioral disturbances and difficulties in carrying out daily functions [1]. Dementia affects almost 50 million people worldwide, manifesting as deterioration of cognitive functions, such as memory, thinking and behavior [2]. It can be caused by aging, physical and/or chemical injuries, or neurodegenerative diseases, which in most cases would affect the quality of learning and memory of the concerned individuals. Learning and memory are the most important executive functions performed by the human brain, the loss of which is a prominent feature in dementia [3]. One common feature seen in a number of dementia types, such as Lewy body dementia, Alzheimer's disease (AD) and dementias associat- ed with Parkinson's disease (PDD) and cerebrovascular disease (CVD), are deficiencies in cholinergic neurotransmission in the brain [4]. Along with cholinergic neurotransmission, oxidative stress is another well-known causative factor in the pathogenesis of dementia among age-related neurodegenerative disorders [5]. In this regard, brain tissue in particular is more susceptible to the deleterious effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS then initiate lipid peroxidation which triggers neuronal degeneration especially the central cholinergic pathway, because it has a high rate of oxygen consumption, and reduced antioxidant defense systems [6,7]. Although conventional drugs used for most forms of dementia are effective in the early stages of the disease, long-term therapy has been associated with serious adverse effects [8,9]. Hence, * Corresponding author at: School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4000, South Africa. E-mail address: gtngoupaye@gmail.com (G.T. Ngoupaye). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2017.04.061 0753-3322/© 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy 91 (2017) 350–357 Available online at ScienceDirect www.sciencedirect.com