Inhibition of Amyloid Fibrils Formation from Hen Egg White Lysozyme by Satureia Hortensis Extract and its Effect on Learning and Spatial Memory of Rats

Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the abnormal aggregation of amyloid-? plaques in the brain. Although several studies have been done for finding effective medicines in the treatment of this disease, a drug that inhibits amyloid ? aggregation and ameliorates the disorder has not been approved so far. One important therapeutic approach is use of herbal extracts which are rich in aromatic compounds. In the present study, we induced amyloid aggregation in hen egg white lysozyme (HEWL), and the therapeutic efficacy of Satureia hortensis extract on amyloid aggregation inhibition, learning and spatial memory of rats were investigated.
A total of 24 male wistar rates (250-280 gr) were divided into the 4 groups (n=4): control, scopolamine- received, lysozyme- received, and lysozyme- received in presence of Satureia hortensis extract. Morris Water maze was used for studying the learning and spatial memory.
The results showed that the hippocampal injection of HEWL causes damage to the spatial memory of rats, but amyloid aggregation formed in the presence of Satureia hortensis is not toxic and has, no significant effect on spatial memory of rat.
These observations suggest that Satureia hortensis extract is capable of inhibiting amyloid aggregation. Morover, the study showed the importance of using model proteins as a valid tool in studies on Alzheimer’s disease.