Ethanol extract of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi prevents oxidative damage and neuroinflammation and memorial impairments in artificial senescense mice

Traditionally, Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (SBG) has been widely used to treat high fever, jaundice and infection in the form of decoction or extracts. Several studies have reported that major compounds, such as baicalin and baicalein isolated from this medicinal herb showed antioxidative, antiinflammatory effects [1-5]. Those effects of baicalin and baicalein were could have originated from the traditional effects of the original herb of SBG. The brain is susceptible to free-radical damage due to its comparatively high levels of oxygen metabolism and also relatively deficient in both free-radical scavenging enzymes and antioxidant molecules as compared with other organs [6,7]. Oxidative stress by the imbalance between free radicals and the antioxidant system is a prominent and early feature in the pathogenesis of neuronal damage [8,9].Until now, several models such as amyloid beta, aluminum-maltolate, senescence-accelerated, natural senescent model and D-galactose and sodium nitrate model have been used to mimic the pathophysiological alterations of senile dementia [10-13]. D-galactose can induce caspase-mediated apoptosis, inflammation and oxidative damage in the nervous system [14] and sodium nitrite (NaNO2) injection may cause ischemia and hypoxia in many organs in animals [15]. Thus, the model induced by D-galactose and NaNO2 is considered to be optimistic to induce the senescent syndromes, especially memory impairment with neuroinflammation and ischemia in animals similar to the aging patterns of human beings.Inflammation is critical in recruiting immune cells and molecules to the site of infection for defense. Macrophage plays a central role in organizing the release of inflammation mediators, including prostaglandin E2 and nitric oxide as well as causing pathological consequences such as tissue edema and abnormal histological change [16,17].We tried to find anti-amnesic effects of SBG and its major ingredients on the mice model with memory impairment indu