Protective Effect of Ginkgo Biloba Extract and Pumpkin Seed Oil Against Neurotoxicity of Rotenone in Adult Male Rats

Abstract

The principal goal of the current work was to investigate the protective effect of Ginkgo biloba extract an d pumpkin s eed oil in separate against ro tenone induced neurotoxicity in m ale rats. Adult male albino rats were orally treated with Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb) at a dose o f 150 mg/kg body weight or with p umpkin seed oil (PSO) at a dose of 40 mg/kg body weight once a day for 70 days and on the 21 st day, rotenone (2.5 mg/kg body weight) was given orally for 50 days. Dopamine and norepinephrine NE con tents in striatum, cerebellum a nd c erebral cortex were determined on 40, 55 and 70 days of treatment. Also, the striatum N a /K -ATPase activity, serum a nd s triatum l ipid pe roxidation, nitric oxide ++ (NO), reduced glutathione (G SH), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and serum testosterone level were evaluated with histological investigation of striatum. Results revealed that rotenone administration for 50 days produced significant increase i n s triatum an d s erum lipid peroxidation an d N O levels, while, significant decrease in DA in stri atum and cerebral cortex was d etected. Also, striatum Na /K -ATPase ++