Omar Abdel-Salam - Department of Toxicology and Narcotics, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
Marwa El-Shamarka - Department of Toxicology and Narcotics, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
Eman Youness - Department of Medical Biochemistry, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
Nermeen Shaffie - Department of Pathology, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt

Objective(s): To investigate the potential therapeutic effect of Bougainvillea spectabilis flower decoction on aluminum chloride (AlCl۳)-induced neurotoxicity. Materials and Methods: Rats received daily intraperitoneal injections of AlCl۳ at ۱۰ mg/kg for two months and were treated with B. spectabilis decoction at ۵۰ or ۱۰۰ mg/kg or saline during the ۲nd month of the study. The control group received saline. Brain malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), reduced glutathione (GSH), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), amyloid Aβ peptide, and interleukin-۶ (IL-۶) concentrations and paraoxonase-۱ (PON-۱) activity were determined and brain histology was done. Behavioral and neurological testing included Morris water maze (WMZ), Y maze, and wire hanging. Results: Compared with saline controls, AlCl۳ significantly increased brain MDA and NO along with decreased GSH and PON-۱ activity. It also increased AChE, IL-۶, and amyloid Aβ concentrations. AlCl۳ impaired motor strength and memory performance and caused brain neurodegeneration. B. spectabilis decoction given at ۵۰ or ۱۰۰ mg/kg protected against the biochemical and histopathological alterations evoked by AlCl۳ by alleviating the increase in MDA and NO, and decrease in GSH and PON-۱ activity.  B. spectabilis decoction showed no significant effect on AChE but markedly decreased IL-۶ and amyloid Aβ in the brain of AlCl۳-treated rats. It also restored memory performance and motor strength, and protected against AlCl۳-induced neurodegeneration.Conclusion: These results suggest that B. spectabilis flower decoction might prove of value in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

Aluminum chloride, Amyloid Aβ, Bougainvillea spectabilis- flowers, Interleukin-۶, Neurodegeneration, Oxidative stress, Paraoxonase