Huperzia saururus increases memory retention in rats

VALLEJOS MG; ORTEGA MG; VALERIA PAOLA CARLINI; CABRERA JL; SUSANA RUBIALES,; AGNESE AM

JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY

Elsevier Ireland Ltd

Año: 2007 vol. 111 p. 685 - 685

0378-8741

i> Huperzia saururus is reported in Argentinean popular medicine as a memory improver. Chemical studies have shown that the main onstituents of the species are Lycopodium alkaloids. On the basis of this information, a purified alkaloid extract was obtained by alkaline extraction of the aerial parts. The aim of this work was to investigate the effects of intra-hippocampal administration of the purified alkaloid extract (AE) on memory retention in vivo, using a step down test, in order to correlate with previous results obtained in vitro in an electrophysiological model. The AE administration significantly increased the latency time in comparison to control animals. For treated animals the latency time was 37.61±2.84, 80.94