Antioxidant activity of Bacopa monniera in rat frontal cortex, striatum and hippocampus

The effect of a standardized extract of Bacopa monniera Linn, was assessed on rat brain frontal cortical, striatal and hippocampal superoxide dismutas e (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activities, follow ing administration for 7, 14 or 21 days. The effects induced by this extrac t (bacoside A content 82% +/- 0.5%), administered in doses of 5 and 10 mg/k g, orally, were compared with the effects induced by (-) deprenyl (2 mg/kg, p. o,) administered for the same time periods. Bacopa monniera (BM) induce d a dose-related increase in SOD, CAT and GPX activities, in all the brain regions investigated, after 14 and 21 days of drug administration, On the c ontrary, deprenyl induced an increase in SOD, CAT and GPX activities in the frontal cortex and striatum, but not in the hippocampus, after treatment f or 14 or 21 days, The results suggest that BM, like deprenyl, exhibits a si gnificant antioxidant effect after subchronic administration which, unlike the latter, extends to the hippocampus as well. The results suggest that th e increase in oxidative free radical scavenging activity by BM may explain, at least in part, the cognition- facilitating action of BM, recorded in Ay urvedic tests, and demonstrated experimentally and clinically. Copyright (C ) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.