ANTI-AMNESIC ACTIVITY OF ETHANOLIC FLOWER EXTRACT OF IXORA COCCINEA

Usage of medicinal plants for the treatment of various diseases had been started from 1500 BC onwards. Loss of cognition is one of the age-related mental problems and a characteristic symptom of neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s. Various natural drugs are used for treatment of Alzheimer’s and Parkinsonism, but Available drugs provide symptomatic treatment with known side effects. So the present study is aimed to evaluate anti-amnesic activities of ethanolic flower extract of Ixora coccinea on mouse model as an attempt to search for new compounds against Alzheimer’s disease-related memory impairment. Ixora coccinea is a common flowering shrub native to Southern India and Sri Lanka. Traditionally it is used as hepatoprotective, antimicrobial, anti-oxidant, anti-nociceptive, anti-mitotic and anti-inflammatory activities. Decoction of roots was used for nausea, hiccups, and anorexia. Numerous activities were reported on the entire plant and various parts of the plant like root, leaf, and flower .The anti-amnesic activity was screened by the stair case method and elevated plus maze method. The staircase method has been widely used in measuring perceptual learning. The Elevated plus-maze method was used in measuring memory. The results indicate that ethanolic flower extract of Ixora coccinea might be useful as anti-amnesic agent to delay the onset and reduce the severity of symptoms associated with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.