NEUROCHEMICAL EFFECTS OF CULCASIA FALCIFOLIA ETHANOL LEAF EXTRACT ON IN AN EXPERIMENTAL MODEL OF SODIUM NITRITE-INDUCED HYPOXIA

Aim: The present study investigated the effects of the ethanol leaf extract of Culcasia falcifolia on selected neurochemical parameters in sodium nitrite-induced hypoxic rats.
Methods: Thirty Wistar rats were divided into five groups: normal control, hypoxic control, standard drug-treated, and extract-treated groups receiving 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight, respectively. Hypoxia was induced by sodium nitrite administration for 14 days. At the end of the experimental period, brain tissue was collected to determine acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, glutamate concentration, and dopamine levels. The data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance followed by Dunnett’s test.
Results: Sodium nitrite-induced hypoxia increased brain AChE activity from 17.05 ± 0.20 to 21.21 ± 0.27 and glutamate levels from 76.01 ± 0.49 to 88.13 ± 0.32 µmol/g tissue, while dopamine levels decreased from 645.88 ± 1.00 to 524.79 ± 1.10 pg/mg tissue. Treatment with C. falcifolia extract at 200 and 400 mg/kg reduced AChE activity to 14.19 ± 0.19 and 15.28 ± 0.16, respectively, and glutamate levels to 69.16 ± 0.85 and 71.13 ± 0.47 µmol/g tissue. Dopamine levels increased to 559.15 ± 1.09 and 587.30 ± 1.09 pg/mg tissue, respectively. These changes were reported as statistically significant (p < 0.01).
Conclusion: The ethanol leaf extract of C. falcifolia modulated AChE activity, glutamate concentrations, and dopamine levels in sodium nitrite-induced hypoxic rats. These preliminary findings suggest potential neuroprotective effects and support further investigation into the mechanisms underlying its activity.