Neuroprotective effect of anthocyanins on acetylcholinesterase activity and attenuation of scopolamine-induced amnesia in rats

• Anthocyanins are flavonoid with neuroprotective properties.
• Anthocyanins prevented scopolamine-induced memory deficits.
• Anthocyanins are able to prevent the AChE upregulation in brain of scopolamine-treated rats.
• Anthocyanins protect against impairment of membrane bound ATPases induced by scopolamine.

Anthocyanins are a group of natural phenolic compounds responsible for the color to plants and fruits. These compounds might have beneficial effects on memory and have antioxidant properties. In the present study we have investigated the therapeutic efficacy of anthocyanins in an animal model of cognitive deficits, associated to Alzheimer's disease, induced by scopolamine. We evaluated whether anthocyanins protect the effects caused by SCO on nitrite/nitrate (NOx) levels and Na+,K+-ATPase and Ca2+-ATPase and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activities in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus (of rats. We used 4 different groups of animals: control (CTRL), anthocyanins treated (ANT), scopolamine-challenged (SCO), and scopolamine + anthocyanins (SCO + ANT). After seven days of treatment with ANT (200 mg kg−1; oral), the animals were SCO injected (1 mg kg−1; IP) and were performed the behavior tests, and submitted to euthanasia. A memory deficit was found in SCO group, but ANT treatment prevented this impairment of memory (P < 0.05). The ANT treatment per se had an anxiolytic effect. AChE activity was increased in both in cortex and hippocampus of SCO group, this effect was significantly attenuated by ANT (P < 0.05). SCO decreased Na+,K+-ATPase and Ca2+-ATPase activities in hippocampus, and ANT was able to significantly (P < 0.05) prevent these effects. No significant alteration was found on NOx levels among the groups. In conclusion, the ANT is able to regulate cholinergic neurotransmission and restore the Na+,K+-ATPase and Ca2+-ATPase activities, and also prevented memory deficits caused by scopolamine administration.