Master’s Thesis at the University of Babylon on Alzheimer’s Disease
The Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Medicine, University of Babylon, held the defense of the Master’s thesis of student Rusul Hadi Shaalan Al-Moussawi, entitled:
“Study of the Effect of Tecomella undulata Extract on an Animal Model of Alzheimer’s Disease.”
The thesis was supervised by Prof. Dr. Salman Mohammed Salman and Prof. Dr. Waleed Aziz Mahdi.
The defense session was attended by the Dean of the College, Prof. Dr. Mohanad Abbass Al-Shalah, the Administrative Assistant Dean, Prof. Dr. Kazem Jawad Al-Hamadani, several faculty members, researchers, academics, and postgraduate students.
During her defense, the researcher explained that Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that primarily affects cognitive functions, especially memory. It is associated with high morbidity and mortality and is the most common cause of dementia, accounting for 60–70% of cases in individuals aged 65 years and older. Multiple factors are thought to contribute to its pathogenesis, including amyloid-? accumulation, tau protein hyperphosphorylation, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Currently, there is no curative treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, and only a few drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are available, which are costly and provide only symptomatic relief.
Herbal medicine has recently gained attention due to its relatively few side effects. Tecomella undulata (TUE) occupies a special position in herbal medicine, showing pharmacological effects such as hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and antimicrobial properties.
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the ethanol extract of Tecomella undulata on an aluminum chloride–induced Alzheimer’s disease model in rats.
The findings showed that behavioral testing demonstrated that Tecomella undulata extract (TUE) enhanced cognitive abilities in rats by improving spatial memory, as measured by the Y-maze test. It also reduced latency time to find food in the eight-arm maze. In the open field test, the extract displayed anxiolytic-like effects, promoted exploratory drive, and appeared to restore normal motor function.
Treatment with TUE significantly (p < 0.05) reduced MDA, TNF-?, and IL-6 levels, while significantly (p < 0.05) increasing GSH levels. Histopathological examination revealed morphological changes and moderate inflammation in the brains of rats exposed to aluminum chloride, whereas the groups treated with donepezil or TUE extract showed reduced brain inflammation.
In conclusion, Tecomella undulata demonstrated anti-Alzheimer’s activity, capable of reversing aluminum chloride–induced Alzheimer’s-like pathology. These effects appear to be mediated through its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.