Journal of the Chinese Medical Association
Volume 71, Issue 1 , Pages 6-13, January 2008

Enhancement of Hippocampal CA3 Neuronal Dendritic Arborization by Centella asiatica (Linn) Fresh Leaf Extract Treatment in Adult Rats

  • Mohandas Rao Kappettu Gadahad

      Affiliations

    • Departments of Anatomy and Melaka Manipal Medical College, Manipal, India
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorrespondence to: Dr Mohandas Rao K.G., Department of Anatomy, Melaka Manipal Medical College, Manipal 576104, India
    • ,
  • Muddanna Rao

      Affiliations

    • Department of Anatomy, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, India
    • ,
  • Gurumadhva Rao

      Affiliations

    • Departments of Pharmacology, Melaka Manipal Medical College, Manipal, India

Received 7 September 2006; accepted 23 November 2007.

Article Outline

Background

Centella asiatica (CeA) is a creeper, growing in moist places in India and other Asian countries. Leaves of CeA are used for memory enhancement in the Ayurvedic system of medicine, an alternate system of medicine in India. In the present study, we investigated the role of CeA fresh leaf extract treatment on the dendritic morphology of hippocampal CA3 neurons, one of the regions concerned with learning and memory, in adult rats.

Methods

In the present study, adult rats (2.5 months old) were fed with 2, 4 and 6 mL/kg body weight of fresh leaf extract of CeA for 2, 4 and 6 weeks, respectively. After the treatment period, the rats were killed, brains were removed and hippocampal neurons were impregnated with silver nitrate (Golgi staining). Hippocampal CA3 neurons were traced using camera lucida, and dendritic branching points (a measure of dendritic arborization) and intersections (a measure of dendritic length) were quantified. These data were compared with those of age-matched control rats.

Results

The results showed a significant increase in the dendritic length (intersections) and dendritic branching points along the length of both apical and basal dendrites in rats treated with 6 mL/kg body weight/day of CeA for 6 weeks. However, the rats treated with 2 and 4 mL/kg body weight/day for 2 and 4 weeks did not show any significant change in hippocampal CA3 neuronal dendritic arborization.

Conclusion

We conclude that constituents present in Centella asiatica fresh leaf extract has neuronal dendritic growth-stimulating properties.

Key Words:  adult rats , Centella asiatica, dendritic branches , dendritic intersections , hippocampal CA3 neurons

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PII: S1726-4901(08)70066-2

doi:10.1016/S1726-4901(08)70066-2

Journal of the Chinese Medical Association
Volume 71, Issue 1 , Pages 6-13, January 2008

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