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In the present study, we investigated the anti-Parkinson's effect of vanillic acid (VA) (12 mg/kg, 25 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg p.o.) against rotenone (2 mg/kg s.c.) induced Parkinson's disease (PD) in rats. The continuous administration of rotenone for 35 days resulted in rigidity in muscles, catalepsy, and decrease in locomotor activity, body weight, and rearing behaviour along with the generation of oxidative stress in the brain (rise in the TBARS, and SAG level and reduced CAT, and GSH levels). Co-treatment of VA and levodopa-carbidopa (100 mg/kg + 25 mg/kg p.o.) lead to a significant (P < 0.001) reduction in the muscle rigidity and catalepsy along with a significant (P < 0.001) increase in body weight, rearing behaviour, locomotion and muscle activity as compared to the rotenone-treated group in the dose dependent manner, showing maximum effect at the 50 mg/kg. It also showed reversal of levels of oxidative stress parameters thus, reducing the neuronal oxidative stress. The level of DA was also estimated which showed an increase in the level of DA in the VA plus standard drug treated animals as compared to rotenone treated group. Histopathological evaluation showed a high number of eosinophilic lesions in the rotenone group which were found to be very less in the VA co-treated group. The study thus proved that co-treatment of VA and levodopa-carbidopa, significantly protected the brain from neuronal damage due to oxidative stress and attenuated the motor defects indicating the possible therapeutic potential of VA as a neuroprotective in PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that leads to memory impairment. However, the exact etiology of AD is not clear but cholinergic dysfunction and oxidative stress are considered to play an important role in its pathogenesis. Because of this reason, antioxidant compounds are expected to play potential beneficial role in this disease. Among number of antioxidant compounds, hesperidin (HSD) was selected for this study on the basis of its reported antioxidant and neuroprotective effects. Moreover, it has shown higher probable activity value for scavenging free radical along with anti-dementia effects, predicted by PASS online computer program. Current study was designed to evaluate the nootropic and antioxidant effects of HSD. The different groups of animals received scopolamine (2 mg/kg) along with co-treamtment of HSD (100, 200 mg/kg) and donepezil HCl (3 mg/kg) i.p. for consecutive 10 days. Behavioral tests were carried out, 30 min after respective treatment on 2nd, 5th and 9th day for memory evaluation. On 10th day of treatment, the animals were sacrificed and the homogenates of brain hippocampus and cortex were used for biochemical estimation. Co-treatment with HSD at both doses significantly reversed the changes in memory and biochemical alterations, induced by scopolamine administration. It can be concluded that HSD has strong memory enhancing and anti-oxidant effects, therefore, it can be considered as a potential candidate for its further pharmacological evaluation for AD-induced dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]