Red clover (Trifolium pratense) Extract Ability Enhances Motor Coordination and Spatial Memory in Parkinson Murine Model

Parkinson’s disease (PD) remains one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases and consistently ranks second after Alzheimer’s disease. Currently, there is a high interest in the field of neurology to find therapeutic approaches for slowing or stopping Parkinson’s disease progression of disease altogether. Trifolium pratense is an interesting herbal compound that yet to be studied in Parkinson management. Clinicians in developing countries may suspect their neuroprotective abilities. T. pratense extract was sold freely as a commercial neuroprotective agent. This is an experimental preclinical trial aimed at determining the ability of Trifolium pratense to exert neuroprotective translated through clinical effects. Induction of PD in a murine model was performed using a neurotoxic method by applying rotenone. The ethanol extract of Trifolium pratense was extracted using a pharmaceutical method, and the dose was divided into five categories: normal control group, negative control group, 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg BW. Outcome determination was done using two tests. Rotarod tests were performed to determine motor coordination and balance, while the Morris water maze test was used to determine spatial memory and learning ability. The results of the analysis using the Kruskal–Wallis test showed that there was no difference in the survival time of mice from the rotarod test results at 20 rpm among the five treatment groups (p=0.498), no difference in 40 rpm results of the five treatment groups (p = 0.081), and no difference in 60 rpm results the five treatment groups (p = 0.301). The results of the analysis using the one-way ANOVA test showed that there was a difference in the Morris Water Maze results on days 7th and 28th days between the five treatment groups (p = 0.008). Trifolium pratense leaf extract exerted neuroprotective effects by enhancing spatial memory and learning ability in a rat model of Parkinson’s disease.