Therapeutic investigations of palm oil induced beta-carotene in diabetic vascular dementia in rat

Abstract

Vascular dementia (VaD) is a major factor for the progress of stroke and other memory disorders. It is the second leading cause of death. The burden of VaD is higher in the aged population (>65 years). The progression of VaD occurs with lifestyle modifications i.e., fast food, smoking, and alcohol. The medicines for the treatment of VaD are limited. The palm oil is one of the rich sources of beta-carotene (BC). The present research designed to investigate the potential role of palm oil mill effluent derived BC in experimental model of diabetic VaD. The diabetic VaD was induced by administration of nicotinamide (NA, 50 mg/kg; i.p.) followed by streptozotocin (STZ, 50 mg/kg; i.p.). The test compound i.e., BC (50 and 100 mg/kg) and reference compound donepezil (1 mg/kg) were administered orally for 15 consecutive days. The changes of cognitive patterns i.e., escape latency time (ELT) and time spent in target quadrant (TSTQ) was assessed by Morris water maze (MWM) test. Besides the changes of neurotransmitter i.e., acetylcholinesterase (AChE) was estimated in brain (hippocampus, cerebellum, entorhinal cortex, amygdala and septum) samples. The administration of STZ caused the significant changes of cognitive functions (increased ELT and decreased TSTQ) as indicated in the development of VaD when compared to normal group. The treatment of BC was ameliorated the cognitive dysfunctions against the STZ associated cholinergic neurotransmitter (elevated AChE) changes. The effects were similar to donepezil treatment group. Hence, it proved that BC possesses the potential therapeutic effects in the management of diabetic VaD due to its potential anti-cholinergic effects.