TLC Bioautography and In vivo Studies of Averrhoa bilimbi Fruit Extract for Investigation of Nootropic Activity against Scopolamine-induced Amnesia

Cognitive disorders are one of the major health problems of the present era, especially affecting elderly individuals who need satisfactory medication for prevention and cure with fewer side effects. The current study is aimed at investigating the nootropic activity of Averrhoa bilimbi fruit extract in rats. In traditional systems of medicine, Averrhoa bilimbi is used for the treatment of hypertension, cold, cough, rheumatism, syphilis, and whooping cough. Averrhoa bilimbi fruit extract was prepared by maceration using ethanol as solvent. Animals were divided into eight groups, which included normal control, negative control (scopolamine), standard group (Piracetam), and treatment groups (Averrhoa bilimbi extract 200, 400 mg/kg; combination of extract and scopolamine). After treatment for 8 days, the nootropic potential of the extract was evaluated using elevated plus maze, Hebb William’s, and step-down latency models. The presence of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors in the extracts was identified by TLC bioautography. Pre-clinical nootropic activity studies on animals indicate that upon pre-treatment with the Averrhoa bilimbi extract, showed significant improvement in learning and memory activity in scopolamine-induced amnesic animals in a dose-dependent manner. Averrhoa bilimbi extract showed the potential to enhance learning and memory. So, it can be useful for different cognitive disorders that involve amnesia. However, there is a need for further investigation into the mechanism and effect of extract on biochemical changes in the brain.