Neuroprotective Effect of a Nutraceutical Formulated with <i>Pouteria</i><i> </i><i>campechiana</i>’s and <i>Lannea</i><i> &

Oxidative stress is a famous factor that may trigger Alzheimer’s disease through the disruption of the redox balance to result to free radicals species, harmful for the brain. Fruits harbor antioxidant compounds that may preserve the brain against Alzheimer’s disease. Some include phenolic compounds, unsaturated fatty acids and triterpenoids. This work was aimed at evaluating the neuroprotective activity of a nutraceutical made with <i>Lannea</i><i> </i><i>microcarpa</i>’s and <i>Pouteria</i><i> </i><i>campechiana</i>’s fruits on a model of oxidative stress-induced Alzheimer’s disease rats. <i>Lannea</i><i> </i><i>microcarpa</i>’s ethyl acetate and <i>Pouteria</i><i> </i><i>campechiana</i>’s hexanic fractions were made by partitioning the hydroethanolic extract (20:80) of <i>Lannea</i><i> </i><i>microcarpa</i>’s fruit pulp and the ethanolic extract of <i>Pouteria</i><i> </i><i>campechiana</i>’s pulp fruit in ethyl acetate and n-hexane respectively. Antioxidant activities of both fractions were determined by DPPH and FRAP assays. A simplex lattice mixture design was done and the selected mixture was used as nutraceutical. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was performed to determine the phytochemical composition of fractions. AlCl<sub>3</sub> at 15 mg/kg bw was administered to 3 months rats; and the different treatments were administered every day by oral route. Behavioral assessment was carried out by Morris water maze and Open field tests. Malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, catalase, reduced glutathione, γ-aminobutyric acid, and acetylcholinesterase were determined in the brain. Red congo was used for brain analysis. Data were analyzed with SPSS 22.0 using one-way ANOVA and MINITAB 20.0. The mixture <i>L.</i><i> </i><i>microcarpa</i>’s fraction/<i>P.</i><i> </i><i>campechiana</i>’s fraction (62.5: 37.5) was selected. Major compounds detected in <i>Lannea</i><i> </i><i>microcarpa</i>’s and <i>Pouteria</i><i> </i><i>campechiana</i>’s fractions were phenolic compounds, triterpenoids and fatty acids. Treatment of animals with the nutraceutical increased the spatial and learning memory in the Morris water and open field mazes. Levels of malondialhedyde (1.969 ± 0.09) × 10<sup>-6</sup> µM), nitric oxide (9.551 ± 0.296<sup>a</sup> µM), acetylcholinesterase ((4.515 ± 0.268) × 10<sup>-6</sup> µM/mg protein) reduced, and γ-aminobyturic acid (36.238 ± 1.833 µg/ml) increased. The non-treated group showed amyloid plaques and neurodegenerative features like cell pyknosis, cell vacuolation and neuron loss. Bioactive compounds contained in the nutraceutical could be targeted as acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and anti-amyloidogenic therapeutics.