스코폴라민으로 유도한 인지능력 장애 동물모델에서 구절초 열수 추출물의 개선 효과

Chrysanthemum zawadskii Herbich var. latilobum (Maxim.) Kitamura, a traditional medicinal herb abundant in caffeoylquinic and flavone glycosides with reported anti-inflammatory and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activities, was investigated for its cognition-enhancing potential. We investigated whether a hot-water extract of C. zawadskii mitigates scopolamine-induced cognitive deficits in mice. The administration of scopolamine markedly reduced spontaneous alternation in the Y-maze test, the discrimination ratio in novel object recognition test, and step-through latency in passive avoidance test. Oral administration of the extract (300 mg/kg) significantly reversed all three behavioral impairments. Western blotting revealed that scopolamine suppressed phosphorylation of ERK and CREB in hippocampal tissues, whereas C. zawadskii hot water extract (300 mg/kg) significantly reinstated their levels. In addition, C. zawadskii hot water extract at 300 mg/kg also inhibited AChE activity to an extent comparable with donepezil. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that C. zawadskii hot water extract ameliorates scopolamine-induced deficits in working, recognition, and long-term memory via modulation of the cholinergic system and the ERK-CREB signaling pathway. Thus, C. zawadskii may represent a promising natural therapeutic agent for the prevention or management of dementia.