Cognitive Enhancing Activity of Betulin Isolated from Eunonymus alatus on Memory Impairment Insulted by Scopolamine

This study evaluated the cognitive-enhancing effects of betulin, a triterpenoid compound isolated from Euonymus alatus, in a mouse model of scopolamine-induced amnesia. Behavioral assessments were conducted using the Morris water maze and passive avoidance tests. In the Morris water maze, betulin significantly attenuated scopolamine-induced impairments in spatial reference memory, as indicated by decreased escape latency and path length, along with improved swimming trajectories. In the passive avoidance test, betulin markedly improved memory retention, restoring performance to approximately 70% of that observed in the normal control group. Betulin markedly suppressed acetylcholinesterase activity in both the cortex and hippocampus, demonstrating a level of inhibition comparable to that observed with oral administration of donepezil at a dose of 1 mg/kg. These findings suggest that betulin may have therapeutic potential for the management of memory deficits associated with cholinergic dysfunction.