Evaluation of the pre-treatment effect of Centella asiatica medicinal plants on long-term potentiation (LTP) in rat model of Alzheimer's disease

Non-transgenic rodent models of Alzheimer's disease for preclinical research: a review

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a prevalent neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive memory loss and cognitive decline. It involves the irreversible destruction of higher brain structures, leading to significant cognitive deficits, personality changes, and aberrant behavior. Key pathological features include the accumulation of amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaques and hyperphosphorylated tau protein neurofibrillary tangles, which disrupt cellular communication and neuron function. Chronic inflammation, vascular abnormalities, and genetic factors like the APOE (apolipoprotein E) ε4 allele also play crucial roles in AD progression. Epidemiological data indicate a substantial global impact, especially among older adults, with women disproportionately affected. Animal models, both transgenic and non-transgenic, are pivotal in researching AD pathophysiology and potential treatments. This review presents a full overview regarding a variety of non-transgenic rodent models of Alzheimer's disease utilized in the preclinical research for treatment approaches in Alzheimer's disease.

Plant-Based Therapies to Ameliorate Neuroinflammation in Parkinson's Disease, Alzheimer's Disease, and Epilepsy: A Narrative Review

Neuroinflammation plays a crucial role in the etiology of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease (PD), Alzheimer's disease (AD), and epilepsy. Several key inflammatory pathways are pivotal in the development of neuroinflammation in PD, AD, and epilepsy. The NF-κB pathway is a central regulator of inflammation, and its chronic activation triggers the transcription of genes that drive inflammatory responses. JAK-STAT signaling system triggers the production of cytokines and chemokines that generate neuroinflammation; mitogen-activated protein kinases mediate the p38 pathway and control the synthesis of cytokines. Activation of the NO signaling pathway causes oxidative stress and neuronal damage. Plant-based therapeutics are gaining attention due to their anti-neuroinflammatory and neuroprotective phytochemicals, which shield the neurons from damage. Some of the examples are curcumin, resveratrol, ginsenosides, cannabidiol, notoginseng, quercetin, and so on. Clinical studies also indicate that certain plant-based formulations like Wei Li Bai, IPX066, Bushen huoxue, and so on can be effective alternatives to presently available remedies. The review is an attempt at assimilating the information from available literature on the role of different neurotransmitters involved in neuroinflammation and their connection in AD, PD, and epilepsy and applications of plant-based therapies in the prevention and cure of the above-mentioned diseases.

Transcriptome analysis identifies the role of Class I histone deacetylase in Alzheimer's disease

Epigenetics modification is a process that does not change the sequence of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in disease progression but can alter the genetic expression of the brain in Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this study, we deployed the weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to explore the role of Class I histone deacetylases (HDACs) in AD, which included HDAC1, HDAC2, HDAC3, and HDAC8. The aim of the study was to find how Class I HDACs affected AD pathology by analyzing the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) microarray datasets GSE33000. We found that HDAC1 and HDAC8 were more highly expressed in the cortex of AD patients than in Controls, while HDAC2 and HDAC3 were lower expressed. By WGCNA analysis, we found the blue module was associated with HDAC1 and HDAC8, and the turquoise module was related to HDAC2 and HDAC3. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that the Wnt signaling pathway and synaptic plasticity played an important role in the modification of HDAC1 and HDAC8 while gap junction and cell-cell junction were involved in the regulation of HDAC2 and HDAC3 in the disease progression of AD. By Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) analysis, we concluded that HDAC1 might be the most probable diagnostic biomarker of Class I HDACs for AD. Our study provided a comprehensive understanding of Class I HDACs and provided new insight into the function of HDAC1 in AD disease progression.

Ethnobotany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicity of Centella asiatica (L.) Urban: A comprehensive review

The well-known medicinal plant Centella asiatica (L.) Urban is an Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine used in the treatment of different health problems and as an edible vegetable in a regular diet. Ease of availability in the wide range of environmental conditions plus low-cost cultivation process has made the plant popular in ethno-medicinal healthcare systems. In the present review, phytochemical analysis of plant-extract and pharmacological activities of bioactive-compounds are discussed based upon the available reports to understand their therapeutic potentialities along with the mechanisms behind. The results exhibited that C. asiatica and its triterpenoids demonstrated an array of pharmacological effects and health benefits, some of which were confirmed in many preclinical and clinical studies. Those reports also provided considerable evidences in support of the principles of folk treatment in different countries. Increase and maintenance of the prospective plant secondary metabolites would provide an enriched resource of drug molecules. Development of suitable derivatives of the therapeutic compounds can give an assurance for getting more effective drug candidates with reduced side effects. The review also enumerates the application of advanced nanotechnology, toxicology, and clinical-trial reports on the plant with notes on the shortcomings in the present research and future perspectives of using this medicinal plant.