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Gypenoside TN-2 ameliorates scopolamine-induced learning deficit in mice

Authors Hong, Sung-Woon; Yang, Jeong-hwa; Joh, Eun-Ha; Kim, Hyoung Ja; Kim, Dong-Hyun

Journal JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY , APR 12 2011,3:134

DOI 10.1016/j.jep.2011.02.002 PubMed 21333723

Abstract Ethnopharmacological relevance: Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino (GP, family Cucurbitaceae), which contains dammarane saponins as its main constituents, is used in China, Japan, and Korea as a traditional medicine to treat cancer, obesity, arteriosclerosis, asthma and senility.Aim of the study: To investigate the memory-enhancing effects of GP, Gypenoside TN-2 (TN-2) was isolated by activity-guided fractionation and administered to scopolamine-induced memory-deficient mice.Materials and methods: The memory-enhancing effects of TN-2 were evaluated using passive avoidance. Y-maze, and Morris water maze tests, and the protein expressions of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), cAMP element binding protein (CREB), and p-CREB were determined by immunoblotting.Results: TN-2 inhibited memory and learning deficits in scopolamine treated mice in the passive avoidance test. TN-2 (10, 20, and 40 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly inhibited memory and learning deficits in the passive avoidance test by 40%, 96% and 78%, respectively, and exhibited significant memory-enhancing effects on the Y-maze test and the Morris water maze test. TN-2 also markedly increased BNDF expression and activated the transcription factor CREB in the hippocampi of scopolamine-treated mice.Conclusions: TN-2 may ameliorate memory and learning deficits by activating the CREB-BDNF pathway. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Species covered 绞股蓝 Gynostemma pentaphyllum