Effect of Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal extract on Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) Activity in stressed rat brain: A Histochemical study

Any physical or emotional pressure or the body’s reaction to an undue challenge or demand is defined as stress. Stress can affect all the organ systems of the body especially, the nervous system. The hippocampus, which is under the influence of the Hypothalamo-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis, is vulnerable to stress reactions. In the present study, we studied the effect of immobilization stress and the effect of <i>Withania somnifera</i> (L.) Dunal on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in adult female Swiss albino rats. In stressed animals, AChE activity was weak and in drug treated animals, intense reactivity was observed in all the cell layers of the hippocampus. AChE activity restored in stressed animals after the drug treatment. Another interesting finding is that stress differentially affects the hippocampus; it affects different regions and cell layers differently. The study thus demonstrates the antistress neuroprotective effects of <i>Withania somnifera</i>.