# Portulaca oleracea L. Methanolic Extract Protects the Brain of Male Rats Against Alzheimer's Disease

## TL;DR

This study shows that Portulaca oleracea extract helps protect the brains of male rats from Alzheimer's disease by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation.

## Contribution

The study demonstrates the protective effects of Portulaca oleracea extract against Alzheimer's in rats through oxidative and inflammatory pathways.

## Key findings

- Aluminum chloride increased lipid peroxidation and reduced antioxidant levels in rats.
- Portulaca oleracea extract improved cognitive and biochemical parameters in AD rats.
- Higher doses of the extract showed better behavioral improvement in affected rats.

## Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) occurs as a result of a chronic neurodegenerative disorder that is most frequently linked to a decline in cognitive function and memory. Twenty-four male rats were divided into four groups (n = 6); Group I was the negative control, Group II was the AlCl3-positive control, and Group III and Group IV were treated with 100 mg and 200 mg/kg of Portulaca oleracea methanolic extract, respectively. Aluminum chloride intoxication in Group II increased lipid peroxidation and decreased antioxidant parameters and affected interleukin-6 (IL-6), the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and amyloid beta (Aβ), which lead to the induction of AD through injuring brain cells of AD rats. Treating the AD rats in Group III (GIII) and Group IV (GIV) with P. oleracea ameliorated the altered parameters in the AD rats. It also increased folic acid and vitamin B12 levels. P. oleracea modulated the physiological, biochemical, and histological changes brought on by AlCl3 intoxication in rats via oxidative stress and inflammatory pathways. The dose of P. oleracea in GIV successfully modified the behavioral changes brought on by AlCl3 in the AD rats more than that of GIII.