Methanolic extract of Tamarix Gallica attenuates hyperhomocysteinemia induced AD-like pathology and cognitive impairments in rats

Although few drugs are available today for the management of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and many plants and their extracts are extensively employed in animals' studies and AD patients, yet no drug or plant extract is able to reverse AD symptoms adequately. In the present study, Tamarix gallica (TG), a naturally occurring plant known for its strong antioxidative, anti-inflammatory and anti-amyloidogenic properties, was evaluated on homocysteine (Hcy) induced AD-like pathology and cognitive impairments in rats. We found that TG attenuated Hey-induced oxidative stress and memory deficits. TG also improved neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation by upregulating synaptic proteins such as PSD95 and synapsin 1 and downregulating inflammatory markers including CD68 and GFAP with concomitant decrease in proinflammatory mediators interlukin-1 beta(IL1 beta) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha). TG attenuated tau hyperphosphorylation at multiple AD-related sites through decreasing some kinases and increasing phosphatase activities. Moreover, TG rescued amyloid-beta (A beta) pathology through downregulating BACE1. Our data for the first time provide evidence that TG attenuates Hey-induced AD-like pathological changes and cognitive impairments, making TG a promising candidate for the treatment of AD-associated pathological changes.