HUPERZIA SAURURUS, ACTIVITY ON SYNAPTIC TRANSMITION IN HIPPOCAMPUS

ORTEGA MG, VALLEJO M, PÉREZ MF, ALMIRÓN R, RAMÍREZ O, CABRERA JL, AGNESE AM

JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY

Año: 2006 vol. 104 p. 374 - 374

0378-8741

p class="abstract">Huperzia saururus (Lam.) Trevis. (Lycopodiaceae) known as cola de quirquincho is used in folk medicine to improve memory. The cholinergic neurons of the basal forebrain, including those in the medial septum, and in the vertical limbs of the diagonal band of Broca and the nucleus basalis of Meynert, provide a major source of cholinergic enervation of the cortex and hippocampus. These neurons have also been shown to play an important role in learning and memory processes. Thus, the effects of this traditional Argentinean species were studied in relation to its activity on synaptic transmission in the hippocampus. The alkaloid extract obtained first by decoction of the aerial parts and by subsequent alkaline extraction, was purified by using a Sephadex LH 20 packed column. Electrophysiological experiments were developed with the purified extract (E(2)) on rat hippocampus slices, thus eliciting long-term potentiation (LTP). Results show a marked increase in the hippocam