Neuroprotective effect of alpinia galanga against middle cerebral artery occlusion-induced ischemia in rat

Abstract

Alpinia galangal (A. galanga) is among the oldest traditional medications. A. galangal has important antioxidant characteristics. In the current research, we investigated the neuroprotective potential of ethanol extract of rhizomes of A. galanga in middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO)-induced ischemia in rats. Rats were treated with A. galanga (10 and 20 mg/kg, i.p.) every 24 hours for 3 days after MCAO for 45 minutes. The behavioral impairments in rotarod performance, Angle board, and Grip test were decreased significantly in A. galanga treated rats compared to the sham-operated rats. The ischemic rats treated with A. galanga significantly improved neurobehavioral performance compared to the untreated ischemic rats. Furthermore, A. galangal treatment reduced the contralateral cortical infarct area in the MCAO rats. Our results indicated the neuroprotective properties of A. galanga in the rat model of cerebral ischemia.