2026 ECNP Congress

PS03-3207

Effects of Tanacetum vulgare on cognition, anxiety and hippocampal neuroinflammation in a scopolamine-induced model of amnesia

Borislava Lechkova — M. Shishmanova-Doseva, N. Benbassat, D. Barbutska, Y. Koeva · Medical University of Plovdiv, Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Plovdiv, Bulgaria

2026 ECNP Congress

Introduction

Natural plant-derived compounds are gaining increasing attention as potential therapeutic agents for cognitive disorders [1]. Tanacetum vulgare L. (T. vulgare) is a traditionally used medicinal plant with reported antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory activites [2-4], but its effects on cognition and neuroinflammation are not fully characterized. The present study evaluated the effects of T. vulgare ethanolic extract on spatial memory, anxiety-like behaviour, and hippocampal cytokine expression in a rat model of scopolamine-induced amnesia.

Methods

Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups (n=10 each) - control (saline-treated) group (C-veh); scopolamine-treated (C-Scop); glycerin + scopolamine (Gly-Scop); T. vulgare extract (200 mg/kg) + scopolamine, andT. vulgare extract (1000 mg/kg) + scopolamine. All animals were given scopolamine daily and then treated with an experimental ethanolic extract of T. vulgare. Thirty minutes later, they were subjected to a series of behavioural tests. Spatial working memory was assessed using the Y-maze test [5]. Anxiety-like behaviour was evaluated in the elevated plus maze (EPM) [5]. After the last test all animals were decapitated, brains were removed immediately, and prepared for further immunohistochemical analysis. The expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1 and TNF-α) was analyzed in CA1, CA2, CA3 regions of the hippocampus and the dentate gyrus. Statistical evaluation was carried out using one-way ANOVA and Tukey post hoc test, at a level of significance p<0.05.

Results

Scopolamine administration impaired spatial memory in the Y-maze, as both C-Scop and Gly-Scop groups showed a reduced number of spontaneous alternations compared to C-veh (p=0.004 and p=0.002, respectively). Both doses of the T. vulgare extract significantly increased spontaneous alternation compared to both amnesic groups (T. vulgare 200 mg/kg vs. C-Scop, p=0.001, and vs. Gly-Scop, p<0.001; T. vulgare1000 mg/kg vs. C-Scop, p=0.002, and vs. Gly-Scop, p=0.001), indicating attenuation of scopolamine-induced cognitive deficits.

In the EPM, scopolamine-treated animals demonstrated a decreased number of entries into the open arms (C-Scop vs. C-veh, p<0.001; Gly-Scop vs. C-veh, p=0.001). Both doses of T. vulgare significantly increased the number of open arm entries compared to C-Scop and Gly-Scop groups (p ≤ 0.002). However, only the higher dose (1000 mg/kg) significantly increased time spent in the open arms compared to C-Scop (p=0.023) and Gly-Scop animals (p=0.001). Accordingly, the anxiety index was significantly elevated in C-Scop and Gly-Scop animals compared to controls (p=0.014 and p<0.001, respectively), while both extract-treated groups showed a significant reduction compared to amnesic animals (T. vulgare 200 mg/kg vs. C-Scop, p=0.013, and vs. Gly-Scop, p< 0.001; T. vulgare 1000 mg/kg vs. C-Scop and vs. Gly-Scop, p<0.001).

Scopolamine increased hippocampal IL-1 and TNF-α expression in all examined regions (p < 0.001). Treatment with T. vulgare significantly reduced both cytokines compared to amnesic groups (p ≤ 0.002), indicating a strong anti-inflammatory effect.

Conclusions

Our results demonstrate that T. vulgare ethanolic extract improves spatial memory and reduces anxiety-like behaviour in a scopolamine-induced model of amnesia. These effects may be associated with reduced hippocampal pro-inflammatory cytokine expression.

References

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