چکیده (انگلیسی):

Aim: To investigate the possible memory enhancing effects of Nigella sativa oil (NSO)
and wheat germ oil (WGO) on scopolamine-induced amnesic rats.
Methods: Male Wistar rats received either saline or scopolamine (16 mg/kg, i.p.). The other three
groups were pretreated with NSO (1 ml/kg, p.o.), WGO (170 mg/kg, p.o.) or donepezil used as a
reference drug (10 mg/kg, p.o.) for 14 days before scopolamine injection. Cognitive and biochemical
measurements were then assessed.
Principal results: NSO and WGO treated rats significantly reversed scopolamine-induced deficit of
spatial and non-spatial working memory impairment in the T maze alternation task and object recognition
test, respectively. Administration of NSO prior to scopolamine showed a significant
decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA) and increase in Glutathione (GSH) brain contents to be similar
to that observed in donepezil group. It did not alter cholinesterase activity and showed a significant
decrease in brain tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a) content to be similar to donepezil-treated rats.
Scopolamine-demented rats pretreated with WGO did not change MDA brain content significantly
as compared to scopolamine and donepezil groups. WGO-treated rats showed a significant increase
in GSH to a level similar to that observed in the donepezil group, it showed a significant decrease in
cholinesterase activity as compared to scopolamine group and significantly elevated brain TNF-a
content when compared to donepezil group.