Assessment of Gentisic acid's protective effects on scopolamine-induced Alzheimer’s disease in male mice

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has detrimental effects on behavioral responses and antioxidant status, and the use of gentisic acid (GA) may help alleviate these adverse effects due to its antioxidant properties. We evaluated the impact of GA on behavioral and antioxidant responses in mice. In this experimental-laboratory study, 36 male NMRI mice were allocated to 6 groups (n = 6), including control groups, scopolamine (SC; 1 mg/kg), rivastigmine (Riv; 2.5 mg/kg), and different doses of GA (112.5, 225, and 450 mg/kg). The therapies were administered orally for 14 continuous days. Behavioral tests, including the passive avoidance test (PAT), the elevated plus maze test (EPM), and the open-field test (OFT), were conducted. Finally, blood and tissue samples were collected to evaluate the changes in antioxidants, and histopathological analysis was performed sequentially. GA could significantly improve memory and cognitive disorders, prevent nerve damage, and maintain the weight of the mice, as well as the normal histological characteristics of the hippocampus (P<0.05). Additionally, GA increased serum levels of catalase (CAT) and glutathione (GSH) while decreasing nitric oxide (NO) levels. The high dose of GA (450 mg/kg) exhibited the maximum therapeutic effect. GA may be useful in the treatment of AD due to its antioxidant effects. Nonetheless, further research is needed to determine the exact anti-Alzheimer's mechanism of this compound. This study was conducted on mice, and the results cannot be generalized to humans.