Efficacy of curcumin and selected natural extracts against neurobehavioral toxicity of arsenic and monocrotophos

Abstract

Continuous increase in the number of chemicals in the environment and their injudicious use is a matter of concern due to associated health effects. Brain is inherently more vulnerable to many of such chemicals which may easily cross the blood brain barrier and disrupt its functioning leading to behavioral and neurochemical abnormalities. Due to increasing risk of chemical induced neurotoxicity and associated disorders in humans, a number of studies using pharmacological agents and natural extracts have been carried out to assess their neuroprotective potential in recent years. In view of increasing risk of exposure to arsenic and monocrotophos in humans and associated neurotoxic effects, experimental studies have been carried out on rats to investigate the neuroprotective efficacy of curcumin and B. monnieri. The study involves behavioral, neurochemical and immunohistochemical approaches to understand the detailed mechanism of neuroprotection of curcumin and B.monnieri. The study has exhibited that arsenic exposure causes learning and memory deficits associated with cholinergic dysfunctions and motor impairment associated with dopaminergic alterations in rats and such changes were protected following simultaneous treatment with curcumin. Enhanced oxidative stress in the brain of monocrotophos exposed rats was found to be decreased following simultaneous treatment with monocrotophos and B. monnieri.