Assessment of Commercially Available Preparation of Brahmi, Ginkgo biloba on Cognitive Functions in Rats: A Comparative Study

Objective: Brahmi, Ginkgo biloba are one of the oldest traditional herbal medicines increasingly used to alleviate symptoms of age related cognitive impairment and improve cognition. We conducted this study with the aim to assess effect of commercially available preparation of Brahmi, Ginkgo biloba on spatial learning and memory in healthy young albino rat.

Methodology: All the pharmacological experiments were conducted using Wistar albino rats (n=6), weighing between 100g – 150g. Total 24 animals were screened and marked into 4 different groups (6 in each group), Control (D.W10 ml/kg), Brahmi (40 mg/kg), Ginkgo biloba (100 mg/kg) and standard (Piracetam 200 mg/kg). Drugs were administered via oral route for 21 days. Elevated Plus Maze (Transfer Latency), Open Field Test (Rearing, Locomotion), Radial Arm Maze (Working and Reference memory) were used as amnesic models and there parameters for evaluation of this study.

Results: After 21 days of treatment among all the three groups, Transfer Latency (p=0.918) in elevated plus maze, Working memory (0.678) and Reference memory (0.984) observed in radial 8 arm maze, locomotor activity (0.920) were non-significant. In open field apparatus all parameters were non-significant.

Conclusion: The result of study suggests that no influence of commercial preparations of Brahmi and Ginkgo biloba we used in our study on various learning models as assed by Elevated Plus Maze, Radial Arm Maze, Open Field Test.