TY - JOUR ID - 13540 TI - Zataria multiflora Boiss. extract improves spatial memory and learning capacity in scopolamine-induced amnesic rats JO - Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine JA - AJP LA - en SN - 2228-7930 AU - Sheibani, Vahid AU - Mandegary, Ali AU - Vazifekhahan, Elham AU - Kasbzade, Zahra AU - Asadi, Amir AU - Sharififar, Fariba AD - Neuroscience Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran. AD - Pharmaceutical Research Center, Neuroscience Institute, Department of Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran. AD - Herbal and Traditional Research Center, Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran. Y1 - 2019 PY - 2019 VL - 9 IS - 6 SP - 587 EP - 596 KW - Anticholinesterase KW - Cognitive disorder KW - Morris Water Maze KW - Passive avoidance test KW - Zataria multiflora DO - 10.22038/ajp.2019.13540 N2 - Objective: Zataria multiflora (Zm) has been proposed for memory enhancing in Persian traditional medicine; but to now, no study has been carried out in this field yet. The aim of this research was to study the plant effect on spatial memory in scopolamine-induced amnesia and investigate in vivo anticholinesterase effect of Zm. Material and Methods: Aerial parts of the plant were extracted with methanol and standardized on the basis of rutin content. Male rats received three doses of Zm extract (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg, intraperitoneal (ip) for 7 days) and 30 min after the latest dose, scopolamine (1 mg/kg) was administered to animals. Learning capacity and spatial memory were studied using morris water maze (MWM) and passive avoidance test (PAT) methods. Anticholinesterase activity was studied using Ellman’s method. Physostigmine (0.3 mg/kg) and piracetam (200 mg/kg) were used as positive controls. Results: All doses of Zm extract significantly decreased the distance and time spent to find the platform in MWM and increased the time latency in PAT test. In both MWM and PAT tests, the highest effect of Zm was observed at 200 mg/kg which was in accordance with AChE inhibitory effect of the plant. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that Zm has anti-amnesic effect and might improve memory deficit through anticholinesterase activity. UR - https://ajp.mums.ac.ir/article_13540.html L1 - https://ajp.mums.ac.ir/article_13540_f1d0ecd931b69ae2f2257ca4ffd2bff6.pdf ER -