Assessing the Impact of Methanolic Extract of Zea Mays Silk on Scopolamine Induced Cognitive Impairment

Cognitive impairment, including dementia, is associated with aging and deficits in attention and learning power, and traumatic brain injury is a common cause of disability. The most common and important disease that affects cognitive function is Alzheimer's disease (AD), it is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder. Higher mental working areas of the brain, such as the neocortex and hippocampus, are the most influenced by Alzheimer's disease clinical symptoms. Corn silk (Zea mays Linn) is an essential herb used traditionally by Americans and Chinese to prevent many diseases. In this study, the effects of methanolic effects of the silk part of Zea mays on scopolamine-induced dementia were investigated. Thirty male mice were taken and divided into five groups (n=6) for a period of 21 days. Group 1 received normal saline; Group 2 received scopolamine (3mg/kg) i.p; Group 3 received Donepezil (5mg/kg) oral and scopolamine and served as standard; Group 4 was treatment group and received 400 mg/kg of methanolic extract of corn silk and scopolamine; Group 5 received treatment of 800 mg/kg with standard drug and scopolamine. For behavioral studies, escape latency, transfer latency, and errors in reference memory were measured and calculated, and then after two days, animals were sacrificed, and the brain was isolated from them. A homogenate mixture of the brain was used to estimate acetylcholinesterase, malondialdehyde, reduced glutathione, and superoxide dismutase levels. Finally, statistical data analysis was performed using the one-way ANOVA test. Accordingly, the Zea mays silk extract might improve mice's cognitive behavior after 21 days.