Antiepileptic drugs with nootropic effect is the best choice if you need a comprehensive treatment for comorbid disorders

The article presents the results of a review devoted to the search for optimal methods of treatment in patients with epilepsy with concomitant cognitive impairments. It has been established that antiepileptic drugs with a nootropic effect are the most optimal choice in terms of compliance with the therapy, as well as reducing the frequency of side effects in the case of monotherapy in comparison with the combined use of nootropics and antiepileptic drugs. Levetiracetam is one of the drugs of choice with proven beneficial effects on cognitive function in patients with epilepsy. Due to high safety profile, it can be recommended for use in elderly patients with epilepsy, including for the termination of status epilepticus, and can also be used in cases of combination of Alzheimer’s disease with epilepsy. A promising direction for further researches is to study the possibilities of using levetiracetam in traumatic injuries of the nervous system.

Phytochemical Analysis, In Vitro Anticholinesterase, Antioxidant Activity and In Vivo Nootropic Effect of Ferula ammoniacum (Dorema ammoniacum) D. Don. in Scopolamine-Induced Memory Impairment in Mice

Background: Ferula ammoniacum (D. Don) is one of the endemic medicinal plants that is traditionally used to treat a number of diseases. Although the plant has been used to enhance memory, the investigational evidence supporting the nootropic effect was unsubstantial. Hence, the rationale for this study was to assess the potential beneficial effect of F. ammoniacum seed extracts on learning and memory in mice. Methods: The powdered plant samples (aerial parts) were subjected to extraction ad fractionation. Among the extracts, crude and ethyl acetate extracts were screened for major phytochemicals through HPLC analysis. All the extracts were evaluated for the in vitro anticholinesterase (AChE and BChE) and antioxidant potentials. Among the extracts the active fraction was further assessed for improving learning and memory in mice using behavioural tests like Y-maze and novel object recognition test (NORT) using standard protocols. After behavioural tests, all the animals were sacrificed and brains tissues were assessed for the ex vivo anticholinesterase and antioxidant potentials. Results: Phytochemicals like chlorogenic acid, quercetin, mandelic acid, phloroglucinol, hydroxy benzoic acid, malic acid, epigallocatechin gallate, ellagic acid, rutin, and pyrogallol were identified in crude methanolic extract (Fa.Met) and ethyl acetate fraction (Fa.EtAc) through HPLC. Fa.EtAc and Fa.Chf extracts more potently inhibited AChE and BChE with IC50 values of 40 and 43 µg/mL, and 41 and 42 µg/mL, respectively. Similarly highest free radical scavenging potential was exhibited by Fa.EtAc fraction against DPPH (IC50 = 100 µg/mL) and ABTS (IC50 = 120 µg/mL). The extract doses, 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight significantly (p < 0.01) improved the short-term memory by increasing the percent spontaneous alternation in the Y-maze test along with increasing discrimination index in the NORT that clearly indicated the enhancement in the recognition memory of mice. Conclusion: The extracts more potently scavenged the tested free radicals, exhibited anticholinesterase activities, improved the learning abilities and reduced the memory impairment induced by scopolamine in mice model thus suggesting that these extracts could be effectively used for the management of oxidative stress, neurodegenerative diseases and memory loss.

The evaluation of the grape polyphenoles nootropic activity in resveratrol and in the food concentrate “Enoant”

The article is devoted to the comparison of the nootropic activity of the grape polyphenoles in resveratrol and in the food concentrate “Enoant” at doses 20 mg/kg, using the Barnes maze in animals. It was found out that resveratrol and the food concentrate “Enoant” demonstrate the positive nootropic effect in the Barnes maze, which is expressed by the changes in the time spent on searching for a burrow and the number of incorrect definitions of the true burrow.

Nootropic Effect of Fenugreek Seed Extract against Scopolamine Induced Cognitive Decline in Experimental Mice

Background: Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease affecting about 24 million people world-wide. The socio-economic burden on world-economies costing more than 172 billion US $ annually for the US alone. Objectives: To prepare aqueous extract of T. foenum graecum seeds (FSE) to explore the possible treatment for cognitive deficit in experimental animals. Materials and methods: FSE was subjected to preliminary phytochemical evaluation and antioxidant effect using free radical scavenging method (DPPH). All the animal behavior was video recorded with no human intervention during observation and animal groupings were blinded to avoid investigator bias. Different doses of FSE (5%, 10% and 20%), control, standard (Piracetam, 200 mg/kg, IP.) were given for male albino mice a period of 15 days followed by cognitive assessment in elevated plus maze and novel objection recognition tests. Ttransfer latencies and time exploring novel and familiar objects were recorded in respective tests. Retention of this learned-task was examined again 24 h later and inflexion ratio (IR) and discriminative index (DI) were calculated respectively. Next in the second set of experiment same groups and treatments were continued but scopolamine was administered to all the groups except normal control one hour after the last dose and examined similarly. Results: FSE showed potential antioxidant effect and a dose dependent increase in transfer latency and improved DI indicating a nootropic effect. FSE at 20% showed significant reversal of scopolamine induced dementia in the second set of experiment. Conclusion: FSE improved memory as well as reversed the chemically induced memory deficits in experimental mice.

Nootropic effect of combined application of means from Baikal seal fat and cortexin at cerebral ischemia

In the present study, influence of the complex use of concentrate of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) from a fat of Baikal seal and cortexin on cognitive functions in rats with cerebral ischemia was evaluated. Cognitive impairments are early signs of cerebrovascular insufficiency, which are based on the development of pathobiochemical reactions that cause damage to the lipid and protein structures of cell membranes. It has been suggested that the administration of PUFA and cortexin will have a nootropic effect due to the synergy of their actions. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of PUFA and Cortexin on cognitive function in rats with cerebral ischemia. The study was performed on Wistar rats of both sexes. A model of cerebral ischemia was reproduced by occlusion of the left common carotid artery under ether anesthesia. Animals received PUFA (20 mg/kg) intragastrically once day for 14 days before surgery and for the next 10 days after in combination with administration of cortexin (4 mg/kg, i.p). For a comparative evaluation of the therapeutic efficacy of the complex use of PUFA and cortexin, three groups of animals were used: piracetam and monotherapy with PUFA, and Cortexin. Behavioral activity and cognitive functions in rats were determined using the methods: open field, elevated plus maze, Morris water maze. It has been established that combined use of PUFA and Cortexin stimulated locomotor and exploratory activity, reduced anxiety in animals and had a more effective nootropic effect as compared with monotherapy.