C. asiatica L. can affect brain functions by increasing Bdnf expression and by enhancing the cognitive performance. - GreenMedInfo Summary

A wide range of people in the world use natural remedies as primary approaches against illnesses. Accordingly, understanding the mechanisms of action of phytochemicals has become of great interest. In this context,L. is extensively used, not only as anti-inflammatory or antioxidant agent but also as brain tonic. On this basis, the purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the chronic administration ofL. to adult male rats was able to improve the expression of, one of the main mediators of brain plasticity. Moreover, we assessed whether the treatment could affect the cognitive performance in the novel object recognition (NOR) test. We confirmed the presence of the main compounds in the plasma. Furthermore,L. administration induced an increase ofin the prefrontal cortex, and the administration of the higher dose of the extract was able to improve cognitive performance. Finally, the increase in the preference index in the NOR test was paralleled by a further increase inexpression. Overall, we highlight the ability ofL. to affect brain functions by increasingexpression and by enhancing the cognitive performance.