A REVIEW ON ANTIOXIDATIVE AND NEUROPROTECTIVE POTENTIAL OF USING SALVIA PLEBEIA R. BR.V

*Vigneshwaran D., Srinivasan P.

ABSTRACT

Memory is a vital cognitive function, and its impairment significantly affects quality of life, particularly in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Amnesia associated with AD arises from multifactorial mechanisms, including cholinergic dysfunction, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and abnormal protein aggregation. Scopolamine-induced amnesia is a well-established experimental model that mimics key features of AD-related cognitive deficits by disrupting cholinergic neurotransmission and enhancing oxidative damage. Although current pharmacological treatments provide only symptomatic relief and are associated with adverse effects, there is a growing interest in natural, multi-targeted therapeutic agents. Salvia plebeia R. Br., a medicinal plant widely used in traditional systems of medicine, is rich in flavonoids and phenolic compounds with proven antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties. Bioactive constituents such as luteolin and apigenin are known to enhance memory, inhibit acetylcholinesterase, and protect neurons against oxidative stress. The present study aims to evaluate the antioxidative and neuroprotective potential of S. plebeia against scopolamine-induced amnesia in experimental rodents, thereby providing scientific evidence for its possible role as a natural cognitive enhancer and a promising candidate for the management of memory impairment.

Keywords: Amnesia; Alzheimer’s disease; Scopolamine-induced amnesia; Salvia plebeia; Oxidative stress; Cholinergic dysfunction; Neuroprotection; Antioxidant activity.