ABSTRACT

Buccholzias coriacea is a medicinal plant commonly known as wonderful kola. This study investigated neuroprotective potential of methanol extract of B. coriacea seeds in mercury- challenged Wistar albino rats. A total of 25 Wistar albino rats were used for the study and they were divided into 5 groups of five rats each. The rats in the first group received distilled water and served as the control. Group 2 rats received extract (400 mg/kg body weight). The rats in third group received mercury (4 mg/kg body weight). The rats in fourth group received the extract (200 mg/kg body weight) and mercury (4 mg/kg body weight) and the rats in the fifth group received the extract (400 mg/kg body weight) and mercury (4mg/kg body weight). The study lasted for a month and mercury was administered in the last two weeks. The extract and mercury were administered morning and evening. The rats were sacrificed and the cerebrum and cerebellum tissues harvested for biochemical and histological examinations. The results showed that there were significant (P < 0.05) increase in glutathione (GSH) concentration of the rats in the extract-treated groups and significant (P < 0.05) decrease of malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration of the rats in the extract-treated groups compared to the values obtained for the rats in group 3. Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities were found to be significantly (P < 0.05) higher in the cerebellum and cerebrum of rats in the treated groups compared to the rats in group 3. There was increase in catalase (CAT) activities in the cerebrum and cerebellum of the treated rats groups compared to the untreated rats (group 1). There was significant (P < 0.05) decrease in nitric oxide (NO) concentration in the cerebellum and cerebrum of rats in the treated group compared to those of untreated groups. The cholesterol concentration in the cerebellum of the treated rats (group 4 and 5) were significantly (P<0.05) higher compared to the values obtained in the rats of other groups. The adenosine deaminase (ADE) activities in the cerebellum and cerebrum of group 4 rats significantly (P < 0.05) reduced compared to the rats of other groups. Acetylcholinesterase (ACE) activities were higher in the cerebellum and the cerebrum of the rats in the treated group compared to the value obtained in the untreated rats (group 1). Histopathology showed that the extract reduced degeneration and necrosis in the cerebellum of rats in groups 4 and 5. The increase in the antioxidants and decreased lipid peroxidation, necrosis and degeneration observed in the rats of the extract-treated groups show that the extract has neuroprotective potential in mercury-challenged Wistar albino rats.