Oral Administration of Incense Resin (Styrax benzoin) Extract Enhances Spatial Learning, Memory, and Dendrite Complexity of Mice

Abstract Hippocampus is a part of the brain that has a major role in spatial learning and memory which can be affected by herbal extracts. Incense resin (Styrax benzoin) has been used by local communities to improve intelligence. However, there is no scientific evidence of the functions of Styrax benzoin for regulating hippocampal function. The aim of this study was intended to analyze and investigate the effect of incense resin on learning, memory, and dendrite complexity of mice. Three months old male Deutch Democratic Yokohama (DDY) mice were injected orally with graded doses of 100, 150, and 200 mg/kg of incense resin aqueous extract daily for 30 days. Spatial learning and memory performance levels were tested with Y-maze alternation, novel object recognition, and Morris water maze. The branches and maximum dendritic span in the dentate gyrus were observed by the Golgi-Cox staining. Overall, our results showed that incense resin extract increased learning and memory ability, and the number of dendrite branching in the dentate gyrus.

Improving the probability of pregnancy in endometriosis cases: a study in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization.

Background: Endometriosis is the most common condition underlying infertility in women. To increase the rate of pregnancy in women with endometriosis, embryo selection is performed during in vitro fertilization. This study aims to prove the effectiveness of embryo selection on the rate of pregnancy in a hospital in Jakarta. Methods: This is a cross sectional clinical epidemiology study, performed on endometriosis patients who visited the hospital between 2007 – 2009. Patients were diagnosed with endometriosis using the laparoscopy technique. Embryo selection was performed by assessing the morphology and cell count. Results: We were able to collect data from 72 subjects who underwent IVF during this research period. One subject was dropped out of the program due to immaturity of the oocyte. Successful fertilization was achieved for 65 subjects, but two of them did not undergo embryo transfer. Out of all the subjects undergoing embryo transfer, 26 subjects successfully became pregnant (36.1%). In severe endometriosis cases, pregnancy was achieved with excellent quality embryos (50%) and good-moderate quality embryos (16.7%); but the probability of failure to become pregnant was found to be the same (50%). In mild-moderate endometriosis cases, the probability of pregnancy with excellent quality embryos was 39% compared to 25% chance with good-moderate quality embryos. Regarding the number of embryos that were transferred, we have found that the probability of pregnancy was 50% higher when 3 embryos were transferred, compared to 1 or 2 transferred embryos. Conclusion: This study shows that embryo quality and the number of transferred embryos are relevant to increase the probability of pregnancy in patients undergoing IVF. But because the probability of not achieving pregnancy is not significantly different, we need to find another marker that is more sensitive to assess the quality of embryo transfer.