aka Spikenard
 

This is a new one for me. Anyone know more?


1: J Med Food. 2006 Spring;9(1):113-8.

Nardostachys jatamansi improves learning and memory in mice.

Joshi H, Parle M.

Department of Pharmacognosy, SET's College of Pharmacy, Dharwad, Karnataka,
India.

Cure of cognitive disorders such as amnesia, attention deficit, and Alzheimer's
disease is still far from being realized in the field of medicine. Nootropic
agents such as piracetam, aniracetam, and choline esterase inhibitors like
donepezil are being used for improving memory, mood, and behavior, but the
resulting side effects associated with these agents have made their applicability
limited. In Ayurveda, the roots of Nardostachys jatamansi have been clinically
employed for their anti-ischemic, antioxidant, anticonvulsant, and
neuroprotective activities. The present study was undertaken to assess the
potential of N. jatmansi as a memory enhancer. The elevated plus maze and the
passive avoidance paradigm were employed to evaluate learning and memory
parameters. Three doses (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, p.o.) of an ethanolic extract of
N. jatamansi were administered for 8 successive days to both young and aged mice.
The 200 mg/kg dose of N. jatmansi ethanolic extract significantly improved
learning and memory in young mice and also reversed the amnesia induced by
diazepam (1 mg/kg, i.p.) and scopolamine (0.4 mg/kg, i.p.). Furthermore, it also
reversed aging-induced amnesia due to natural aging of mice. As
scopolamine-induced amnesia was reversed, it is possible that the memory
improvement may be because of facilitation of cholinergic transmission in the
brain. Hence, N. jatmansi might prove to be a useful memory restorative agent in
the treatment of dementia seen in elderly persons. The underlying mechanism of
action can be attributed to its antioxidant property.


PMID: 16579738 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

the abstract i meant to post
 

1: Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2006 Jan;83(1):150-60. Epub 2006 Feb 28.

Attenuation by Nardostachys jatamansi of 6-hydroxydopamine-induced parkinsonism
in rats: behavioral, neurochemical, and immunohistochemical studies.

Ahmad M, Yousuf S, Khan MB, Hoda MN, Ahmad AS, Ansari MA, Ishrat T, Agrawal AK,
Islam F.

Neurotoxicology Laboratory, Department of Medical Elementology and Toxicology,
Jamia Hamdard (Hamdard University), Hamdard Nagar, New Delhi 110062, India.
mahmad7@jhmi.edu

Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the commonest neurodegenerative diseases, and
oxidative stress has been evidenced to play a vital role in its causation. In
the present study, we evaluated whether ethanolic extract of Nardostachys
jatamansi roots (ENj), an antioxidant and enhancer of biogenic amines, can slow
the neuronal injury in a 6-OHDA-rat model of Parkinson's. Rats were treated with
200, 400, and 600 mg/kg body weight of ENj for 3 weeks. On day 21, 2 microl of
6-OHDA (12 microg in 0.01% in ascorbic acid-saline) was infused into the right
striatum, while the sham-operated group received 2 microl of vehicle. Three
weeks after the 6-OHDA injection, the rats were tested for neurobehavioural
activity and were sacrificed after 6 weeks for the estimation of lipid
peroxidation, reduced glutathione content, the activities of
glutathione-S-transferase, glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase,
superoxide dismutase and catalase, quantification of catecholamines,
dopaminergic D2 receptor binding and tyrosine hydroxylase expression. The
increase in drug-induced rotations and deficits in locomotor activity and
muscular coordination due to 6-OHDA injections were significantly and
dose-dependently restored by ENj. Lesioning was followed by an increased lipid
peroxidation and significant depletion of reduced glutathione content in the
substantia nigra, which was prevented with ENj pretreatment. The activities of
glutathione-dependent enzymes, catalase and superoxide dismutase in striatum,
which were reduced significantly by lesioning, were dose-dependently restored by
ENj. A significant decrease in the level of dopamine and its metabolites and an
increase in the number of dopaminergic D2 receptors in striatum were observed
after 6-OHDA injection, and both were significantly recovered following ENj
treatment. All of these results were exhibited by an increased density of
tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactive (TH-IR) fibers in the ipsilateral striatum
of the lesioned rats following treatment with ENj; 6-OHDA injection had induced
almost a complete loss of TH-IR fibers. This study indicates that the extract of
Jatamansi might be helpful in attenuating Parkinsonism.

PMID: 16500697 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Why do they do the studies like this?
 

In other words, they PRE-TREAT the subject with the drug/herb/extract being evaluated, and THEN induce PD. No one in the world has this luxury! Rather, in real life, we get PD, and then have to deal with it. Why in the world don't these guys induce PD first, and THEN administer the drug/herb/extract they are studying? It's exasperating! Anyone know why they structure the studies like this?

Rick, that's interesting...
 

about Spikenard - to me anyway. At the time pd was sneaking into my life I was doing some research on the legend of the Phoenix as a symbol of regeneration, rebirth. This was pre-computer access for me and I didn't find much but there was mention somewhere of the Phoenix carrying Spikenard to start the new nest. Cosmic, huh?:D Ibby

AH, the net!
 

[QUOTE=Ibken;273486]about Spikenard - to me anyway. At the time pd was sneaking into my life I was doing some research on the legend of the Phoenix as a symbol of regeneration, rebirth. This was pre-computer access for me and I didn't find much but there was mention somewhere of the Phoenix carrying Spikenard to start the new nest. Cosmic, huh?:D Ibby[/

http://www.tqnyc.org/NYC063585/pho.htm ENJOY!