Protective effects of curcumin against rotenone-induced rat model of Parkinson’s disease: in vivo electrophysiological and behavioral study

Curcumin is a naturally occurring phenolic yellow
chemical isolated from the rhizomes of the plant Curcuma
longa (turmeric), and is a major component of the spice turmeric. Curcumin has protective effects against rotenoneinduced neural damage in Parkinson’s disease (PD). The present study aims at providing new evidence for the validity of
the rotenone rat model of PD by examining whether neuronal
activity in the hippocampus is altered. Male albino rats were
treated with rotenone injections (2.5 mg/ml intraperitoneally)
for 21 days. We examined the effects of curcumin (200 mg/kg)
on behavior and electrophysiology in a rat model of PD induced by rotenone. Motor activity was assessed by cylinder
test. The electrical activity of neurons was measured in hippocampus. Rotenone causes significant reduction of neuronal
activity. The results show that curcumin can improve the motor impairments and electrophysiological parameters and may
be beneficial in the treatment of PD