Effect of saffron (Crocus sativus) on neurobehavioral and neurochemical changes in cerebral ischemia in rats

The modifying effects of Crocus sativus (CS) stigma extract on neurobehavioral activities, malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glutathione S-transferase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and Na⁺,K ⁺-ATPase activities, and glutamate (Glu) and aspartate (Asp) content were examined in the middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion (MCAO) model of acute cerebral ischemia in rats. The right MCA of male Wistar rats was occluded for 2 hours using intraluminal 4-0 monofilament, and reperfusion was allowed for 22 hours. MCAO caused significant depletion in the contents of GSH and its dependent enzymes while significant elevation of MDA, Glu, and Asp. The activities of Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase, SOD, and CAT were decreased significantly by MCAO. The neurobehavioral activities (grip strength, spontaneous motor activity, and motor coordination) were also decreased significantly in the MCAO group. All the alterations induced by ischemia were significantly attenuated by pretreatment of CS (100 mg/kg of body weight, p.o.) 7 days before the induction of MCAO and correlated well with histopathology by decreasing the neuronal cell death following MCAO and reperfusion. The present results may suggest the effectiveness of CS in focal ischemia most probably by virtue of its antioxidant property.