NEURORESTORATIVE ROLE OF HYPERICUM HOOKERIANUM ETHANOLIC EXTRACT ON BRAIN TOTAL ANTIOXIDANT STATUS AND LIPID PEROXIDATION IN HALOPERIDOL INDUCED SCHIZOPHRENIA IN SWISS ALBINO MICE

Abstract

Schizophrenia is the result of altered cellular homeostasis by oxidative damage in brain which in turn involves in various forms of neurotoxicity including neuronal death. The ethanolic extract of aerial parts Hypericum hookerianum plant has long been used in traditional medicine and in folk treatment for various neurological ailments. The neuroprotective and neurorestorative effect of Hypericum hookerianum was attributed to its antioxidant activity. In the present study the antioxidant potential of Hypericum hookerianum was evaluated in haloperidol induced schizophrenic rat brains. Swiss albino mice of either sex weighing 21-30 g were treated with haloperidol and also treated with Hypericum hookerianum. Oxidative stress was assessed by measuring the extent of lipid peroxidation, total protein content and also totals antioxidant activity in mice brain. Haloperidol stress caused an alteration in oxidative stress markers with a significance increase in brain lipid peroxidation and decrease in total protein content and total antioxidant activities in brain homogenate of treated mice. Hypericum hookerianum has significantly minimized the oxidative stress effects by significant decrease in lipid peroxidation level and also an increase in reduced protein level as well as total antioxidant activities. Results of the present study indicated that Hypericum hookerianum has antioxidant potential against haloperidol -induced oxidative damage in mice brain.