Effect of Gmelina arborea on learning and memory in amnesia-induced and non-amnesia groups of albino Wistar rats

The brain is the centre of the nervous system in all vertebrates. The central cholinergic pathways play a prominent role in learning and memory processes. Dementia is a mental disorder characterized by the loss of intellectual ability, which invariably involves the impairment of memory. The crude extracts of the Gmelina arborea plant are reported to possess wound-healing, anti-diarrheal, anti-oxidant, anti-diabetic, and anti-ulcer property. The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of G. arborea on learning and memory in albino Wistar rats. A total of 36 healthy rats were selected for the study, which were divided in to six groups. Standard screening tests such as the elevated plus maze (EPM), Morris water maze (MWM), and step-down passive avoidance (SDA) tests were used for testing the learning and memory processes. Gmelina arborea at higher doses (1000 mg/kg) showed statistically significant activity in EPM, MWM, and SDA tests for assessing the learning and memory paradigms when compared to the control group in amnesia-induced and non-amnesia groups of rats. This is the first ever study to report the effects of G. arborea on learning and memory in both amnesia-induced and non-amnesia groups of rats. Our results show that G. arborea potentiates the processes of learning and memory. The observed pharmacological activities should be further evaluated by detailed experimental studies and revalidated by clinical trials.