Protection against brain tissues oxidative damage as a possible mechanism for the beneficial effects of Rosa damascena hydroalcoholic extract on scopolamine induced memory impairment in rats.

Objectives: Hypnotic, analgesic, anticonvulsant, and antioxidant effects of Rosa damascena have been reported. This study, investigated the effect of R. damascena hydroalcoholic extract on memory performance in a scopolamine-induced memory impairment model. Methods: The rats were divided into control group received just saline; scopolamine group was treated by saline for 2 weeks, but was injected by scopolamine 30 minutes before each trial in Morris water maze test; treatment groups (scopolamine + extract 50; Sco + Ext 50) and (scopolamine + extract 250; Sco + Ext 250) were daily treated by 50 and 250 mg/kg of R. damascena extract (2 weeks) and were finally injected by scopolamine before each trial in Morris water maze. The brains were removed for biochemical measurements. Results: Time latency and path length in the scopolamine group were higher than control (P < 0.01 to < 0.001). Both treatment groups showed shorter traveled distance and time latency compared with scopolamine group (P < 0.05 to < 0.001). Time spent in target quadrant by scopolamine group was lower than control (P < 0.05), while Sco + Ext 250 group spent longer time in target quadrant than scopolamine group (P < 0.05). Malondialdehyde concentrations in hippocampal and cortical tissues of scopolamine group were higher, while thiol concentrations were lower than control ones (P < 0.001). Treatment by both doses of the extract decreased the malondialdehyde concentration, while increased the thiol concentration (P < 0.05 to < 0.001). Discussion: The results of this study showed that the hydroalcoholic extract of R. damascena prevents scopolamine-induced memory deficits. This finding suggests that memory improvement may be in part due to the antioxidant effects.