Effect of Berberine and Ipriflavone Mixture against Scopolamine-Induced Alzheimer-Like ‎Disease

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Some herbal medications like berberine and ipriflavone have a potential effect on Alzheimer. ‎We studied the effect of berberine/ipriflavone mixture on the memory deficit and cognitive ‎dysfunction which are induced by scopolamine and causing Alzheimer-like disease. 56 male ‎Wistar rats were randomly subdivided into seven groups; including, two control groups (one ‎received saline and the other one received polyethylene glycol), induced group, and four ‎different treated groups (berberine, ipriflavone, berberine/ipriflavone mixture, and donepezil). ‎Induced group and treated groups were received 2 mg/kg scopolamine intraperitoneally, once a ‎day for 4 weeks. Berberine or ipriflavone orally administered (50 mg/kg dissolved in 20% ‎polyethylene glycol). Group of berberine/ipriflavone mixture was orally administered 25 mg/kg ‎each dissolved in 20% polyethylene glycol. Donepezil group was orally administered 2.25 ‎mg/kg dissolved in saline. All treatments were continued daily for 4 weeks; afterward, the ‎Morris water maze (MWM) test was initiated. Rats were euthanized 24 hours after probe trial ‎for retention test; then brain tissues were collected from all groups for determination of pro-‎oxidants, antioxidants, an inflammatory marker, acetylcholine esterase activity, Alzheimer ‎disease markers, and energy profile. Treatment with berberine/ipriflavone mixture improved ‎scopolamine-induced cognitive dysfunctions in the MWM test and was significantly related to ‎the increment in anti-oxidant levels, anti-inflammatory activity, cholinergic function, and brain ‎energy profile. The current study revealed the relation between glucose-6-phosphate ‎dehydrogenase and Alzheimer disease progression. Also, this mixture showed a substantial ‎protective effect against the cognitive impairment induced by scopolamine‎.