Protective effect of hydro-alcoholic extract of Portulaca oleracea on LPS-induced oxidative damage in the hippocampus of rats

One of the main causes of neurodegenerative disorders and diseases with deficits in learning and memory is nervous system inflammation (neuroinflammation), which is usually associated with oxidative stress. Neuroinflammation can activate immune cells with a cascade of cellular and chemical reactions and finally produce large amounts of reactive oxygen species. Recent studies have shown that the use of plants with a high amount of antioxidants can be a proper candidate for the prevention and treatment of neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. Portulaca oleracea is rich in unsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants such as: α-tocopherol, ascorbic acid and glutathion, so can have positive effects on the prevention of neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. In this study, effect of a hydro-alcoholic extract of Portulaca oleracea on improvement of oxidative damage induced by bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was assessed in rat hippocampus.

Male wistar rats (220 ± 10 g) were divided to 4 groups.  Animals received hydro-alcoholic extract of Portulaca oleracea (400 mg/kg) for 14 days by oral gavage. LPS (1mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally.  The antioxidant enzymes activity was determined by measuring catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione Reductase (GR) in the hippocampus. Also, lipid peroxidation was measured as a marker of oxidative damage.

LPS stimulated and increased the activity of SOD and CAT but reduced the activity of GR compared to control group. Also, LPS enhanced malondialdehyde (MDA) level. Pre-treatment with Portulaca oleracea significantly increased SOD, CAT and GR and decreased MAD compared to LPS group.

It seems Portulaca oleracea can be introduced as a natural product for prevention and treatment of oxidative damage due to its special compounds and powerful antioxidative activity.