Effect of Vitamin C Supplementation on Learning and Memory in CD1 Mice.

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), an ‘over the counter’ supplement, has numerous physiological functions and it is found in high concentrations in the brain. The effect of vitamin C on cognitive memory and visuospatial memory was studied using the Novel Object recognition task (NORT) and the Morris water maze (MWM) respectively. Twenty Swiss white albino (CD1) mice, within the age of 90-120 days, were randomly divided into two groups of ten mice each. Mice in group 1 served as the control and so received normal saline orally while the other group received vitamin C (200 mg/kg) orally for 21 days. All animals had access to feed and water ad libitum. Behavioural testing started on day 21. There was no significant difference in swim latencies between the control and test groups in the MWM though there was a uniform reduction in swim latency in both groups during acquisition and reversal training days. There also was no significant difference in quadrant duration and swim latencies of both groups in the probe trial and the visible platform task. The habituation index is significantly higher in the test group compared to control in the short term inter trial interval of the Novel Object recognition task (NORT). However there was no significant difference in the index of habituation in both groups in the long term inter trial interval of the NORT. There also was a significantly higher index of discrimination in the vitamin C treated group compared to control in the short term inter trial interval of the NORT. There was no significant difference in the index of discrimination in the long term inter trial interval of the NORT. Vitamin C did not affect learning as both groups learned equally well during training in the MWM. It also did not affect visuospatial memory. However, Vitamin C improved short term cognitive memory in the NORT.

Locomotor Behaviour and Anxiety in the Open Field and Light/Dark Box in CD1 Mice Treated with Aspirin, Cataflam and Ethanolic Extract of Cannabis sativa.

Aims: To study the effects of cataflam, aspirin and the ethanolic extract of Cannabis sativa on nociception in CD1 albino mice of both sexes. Methods: Twenty (20) albino mice were divided into four (4) groups of five (5) each. The control group (group 1) received normal saline orally. Meanwhile groups 2-4 received p.o. cataflam (1.5 mg/kg), aspirin (13.5mg/kg) and Cannabis sativa (10 mg/kg) respectively. All four (4) groups were given access to normal mice chow and water ad libitum. The Open field apparatus and the light/dark box were used to measure locomotor/exploratory behaviour and anxiety. Results: There was a significant (p=0.05) reduction in the frequencies of rearing, walling and line crossing in the Open field test and a reduction in frequency of transition, rearing and line crossing in the light/dark box. There was no significant difference in the chamber durations in the light/dark box test. Conclusion: Cataflam, Aspirin and the ethanolic extract of Cannabis sativa all have anxiogenic effect and reduced locomotor behaviour. The ethanolic extract of Cannabis sativa seems to have the greatest anxiogenic effect, followed closely by Cataflam and Aspirin.