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Planta Med 1996; 62(4): 317-321
DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-957892
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© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Effects of Gastrodia elata and its Active Constituents on Scopolamine-Induced Amnesia in Rats

Chi-Rei Wu1 , Ming-Tsuen Hsieh1 , Shun-Chieh Huang1 , Wen-Huang Peng1 , Yuan-Shiun Chang1 , Chieh-Fu Chen2
  • 1Institute of Chinese Pharmaceutical Sciences, China Medical College, 91, I Hsieh Shih Road, Taichung, Taiwan, Republic of China
  • 2National Research Institute of Chinese Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
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Publication History

1995

1996

Publication Date:
04 January 2007 (online)

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Abstract

The effects of the rhizome of Gastrodia elata Blume (Orchidaceae) (abbreviated as GE) and its active constituents on learning and memory by using the one-trial passive avoidance task were studied in rats. At the 1.0 g/kg dose administered for one week, the methanol extract of GE significantly prolonged the shortened step-through latency induced by scopolamine in the passive avoidance task. Furthermore, at the 50.0 mg/kg dose administered for one week, the ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions of the methanol extract prolonged the shortened step-through latency induced by scopolamine in rats. Gastrodin, isolated from the n-butanol fraction of the methanol extract, and p-hydroxybenzyl alcohol, isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction of the methanol extract, also significantly prolonged the shortened step-through latency induced by scopolamine on the passive avoidance task. These results suggested that gastrodin and p-hydroxybenzyl alcohol may be the active constituents of GE.

Key words

Gastrodiae elata - Orchidaceae - passive avoidance task - scopolamine - gastrodin - p-hydroxybenzyl alcohol