Evaluation of the Nootropic Activity of the Ethanolic Leaf Extract of Neolamarckia cadamba in Experimental Animal Models
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the nootropic activity of the ethanolic leaf extract of Neolamarckia cadamba (ELENC) in mice. Nootropic activity was assessed using ELENC at selected doses. Donepezil (100 mg/kg, p.o.) was used as the standard reference drug, and scopolamine (1 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered to induce amnesia. Learning and memory were evaluated using the Elevated Plus Maze, Radial Arm Maze, and Y-maze paradigms in scopolamine-induced amnesic mice. In addition, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) levels were estimated in whole-brain homogenates to assess cholinergic function. ELENC treatment significantly increased behavioral and spontaneous alternation in the Y-maze task, indicating improved spatial working memory. In the elevated plus-maze model, ELENC significantly reduced transfer latency in scopolamine-treated mice, suggesting enhanced learning and cognition. The extract also increased locomotor activity and markedly decreased brain acetylcholinesterase levels compared with the normal control, negative control, and standard drug groups, indicating restoration of cholinergic neurotransmission disrupted by scopolamine. Overall, these findings suggest that ELENC improves learning and memory across multiple behavioral models, and the reduction in brain AChE activity further supports its neuroprotective potential. Therefore, Neolamarckia cadamba leaf extract may serve as a promising therapeutic candidate for the management of Alzheimer’s disease and related cognitive impairments.
Keywords: Nootropic activity, Neolamarckia cadamba, Alzheimer’s disease, Donepezil, scopolamine
Keywords:
Nootropic activity, Neolamarckia cadamba, Alzheimer’s disease, Donepezil, scopolamineDOI
https://doi.org/10.22270/jddt.v16i4.7655References
1. 2024 Alzheimer’s disease facts and figures. Alzheimers Dement. 2024 May 1;20(5):3708–821. doi:10.1002/alz.13809 PubMed PMID: 38689398.
2. Breijyeh Z, Karaman R. Comprehensive Review on Alzheimer’s Disease: Causes and Treatment. Molecules. 2020 Dec 1;25(24):5789. doi:10.3390/molecules25245789 PubMed PMID: 33302541.
3. Singh B, Day CM, Abdella S, Garg S. Alzheimer’s disease current therapies, novel drug delivery systems and future directions for better disease management. Journal of Controlled Release. 2024 Mar 1;367:402–24. doi:10.1016/j.jconrel.2024.01.047 PubMed PMID: 38286338.
4. Gallistel CR, Balsam PD. Time to rethink the neural mechanisms of learning and memory. Neurobiol Learn Mem. 2013 Feb;0:136. doi:10.1016/j.nlm.2013.11.019 PubMed PMID: 24309167.
5. Livingston G, Huntley J, Liu KY, Costafreda SG, Selbæk G, Alladi S, et al. Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2024 report of the Lancet standing Commission. The Lancet. 2024 Aug 10;404(10452):572–628. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(24)01296-0 PubMed PMID: 39096926
6. CNS pharmacology and clinical therapeutic effects of oxiracetam - PubMed [Internet]. [cited 2025 Dec 2]. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3594458/
7. Rizi AA, Amjad L, Shahrani M, Khoei AH. Investigating the Mechanisms Involved in Scopolamine-induced Memory Degradation. Arch Razi Inst. 2024 May 1;79(3):555. doi:10.32592/ARI.2024.79.3.555 PubMed PMID: 39736944.
8. Viña J, Borras C, Abdelaziz KM, Garcia-Valles R, Gomez-Cabrera MC. The Free Radical Theory of Aging Revisited: The Cell Signaling Disruption Theory of Aging. Antioxid Redox Signal. 2013 Sep 10;19(8):779. doi:10.1089/ars.2012.5111 PubMed PMID: 23841595.
9. Pandey A, Negi PS. Traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological properties of Neolamarckia cadamba: A review. J Ethnopharmacol. 2016 Apr 2;181:118–35. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2016.01.036 PubMed PMID: 26821190.
10. Redfern J, Kinninmonth M, Burdass D, Verran J. Using Soxhlet Ethanol Extraction to Produce and Test Plant Material (Essential Oils) for Their Antimicrobial Properties. J Microbiol Biol Educ. 2014 May;15(1):45. doi:10.1128/jmbe.v15i1.656 PubMed PMID: 24839520.
11. Latif R, Nawaz T. Medicinal plants and human health: a comprehensive review of bioactive compounds, therapeutic effects, and applications. Phytochemistry Reviews 2025. 2025 Nov 5;1–44. doi:10.1007/s11101-025-10194-7
12. Test No. 420: Acute Oral Toxicity - Fixed Dose Procedure [Internet]. 2002 Feb 8;OECD Guidelines for the Testing of Chemicals, Section 4. doi:10.1787/9789264070943-EN
13. Mukherjee S, Sen S, Biswas A, Barman T, Tripathi S. Impact on behavioral changes due to chronic use of sertraline in Wistar albino rats. Indian J Pharmacol. 2015 Dec 1;47(6):657–62. doi:10.4103/0253-7613.169590 .169590 PubMed PMID: 26729959.
14. KOTHARI S, SAHU M. EFFECT OF AQUEOUS EXTRACT OF CYNODON DACTYLON (DOOB GRASS) ON NORMAL AND IMPAIRED MEMORY IN MICE. Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research. 2022 Sep 7;130–3. doi:10.22159/ajpcr.2022.v15i9.45109
15. ONAOLAPO OJ. Elevated Plus Maze and Y-Maze Behavioral Effects of Subchronic, Oral Low Dose Monosodium Glutamate in Swiss Albino Mice. IOSR J Pharm Biol Sci. 2012;3(4):21–7. doi:10.9790/3008-0342127
16. Kohler J, Mei J, Banneke S, Winter Y, Endres M, Emmrich JV. Assessing spatial learning and memory in mice: Classic radial maze versus a new animal-friendly automated radial maze allowing free access and not requiring food deprivation. Front Behav Neurosci. 2022 Sep 30;16:1013624. doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2022.1013624
17. Cordner ZA, Tamashiro KLK. Effects of high-fat diet exposure on learning & memory. Physiol Behav. 2015 Dec 1;152:363–71. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.06.008 PubMed PMID: 26066731.
18. Hu J, He K, Yang Y, Huang C, Dou Y, Wang H, et al. Amino acid formula induces microbiota dysbiosis and depressive-like behavior in mice. Cell Rep. 2024 Mar 26;43(3):113817. doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113817 PubMed PMID: 38412095.
19. Liu T, Su K, Cai W, Ao H, Li M. Therapeutic potential of puerarin against cerebral diseases: From bench to bedside. Eur J Pharmacol. 2023 Aug 15;953. doi:10.1016/j.ejphar.2023.175695 PubMed PMID: 36977450.
20. Singh S, Sapra A, Kakkar S, Bhan M, Jangra AK. To Evaluate In Vitro Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitory Activity of Various Indian Medicinal Plants. Asian Pacific Journal of Health Sciences. 2022 Apr 1;9(2):205–12. doi:10.21276/apjhs.2022.9.2.41
21. Pohanka M, Hrabinova M, Kuca K, Simonato JP. Assessment of Acetylcholinesterase Activity Using Indoxylacetate and Comparison with the Standard Ellman’s Method. Int J Mol Sci. 2011;12(4):2631. doi:10.3390/ijms12042631 PubMed PMID: 21731462.
22. Ito L, Yamamoto H. Prediction of acute oral toxicity using the Hansen solubility parameter. Toxicol In Vitro. 2022 Sep 1;83. doi:10.1016/j.tiv.2022.105408 PubMed PMID: 35660067.
23. Chiranthanut N, Lertprasertsuke N, Srisook E, Srisook K. Acute and subchronic oral toxicity assessment of extract from Etlingera pavieana rhizomes. Toxicol Rep. 2022 Jan 1;9:1472. doi:10.1016/j.toxrep.2022.07.005PubMed PMID: 36518420
Published
Abstract Display: 26 
PDF Downloads: 18 PDF Downloads: 2 How to Cite
Issue
Section
Copyright (c) 2026 Srinivasu Matta, Sayyad Arshiya, Sai Krishana Nallajerla, Dhabal Kumar Satapathy
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0). that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
How to Cite
.