NEURO-PROTECTIVE POTENTIAL OF BETULINIC ACID AND ROTUNDIC ACID ON THE MERCURIC CHLORIDE INTOXICATED BRAIN OF ALBINO WISTAR RATS

Mercury is the more risky heavy metal for human health because of its ability to kill human nerve cells and its exposure to the environment through human activities, which implicate sewage drainage, agriculture, municipal, mining, incineration, and drainage of industrial wastewater. Mercury and its compounds cause toxic action in the body by several mechanisms, which mainly cause the nervous system through their molecular and cellular effects. The present research intended to investigate the ameliorative potential of betulinic acid and rotundic acid against mercuric chloride (HgCl₂) (1.29 mg/kg b. w.) induced neurotoxicity in adult male rats. The examination was implemented in male albino Wistar rats (n = 36). Which was partitioned into six gatherings as follows: Control, HgCl₂, HgCl₂ + betulinic acid, HgCl₂ + rotundic acid, betulinic acid alone, and rotundic acid alone. The results revealed that intense HgCl₂ regulation modified different biochemical specifications incorporated with the high volume of lipid peroxidation (LPO) portion and a significantly depleted level of reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) pursuits in the brain tissue. Acetylcholinesterase AChE activity in the brain tissue was also brought down in HgCl_2-intoxicated rats. Betulinic acid and rotundic acid is a natural antioxidant that assists in safeguarding oxidative injury by diminishing oxidative stress. In contrast, the treatment of betulinic acid and rotundic acid (5 mg/kg B. W) in the brain tissue reveals a significant reduction in the degree of oxidant level and concurrently an elevated level of antioxidant properties and AChE activity via rehabilitation in brain tissues. Oxidant substance (LPO), AChE activity status, non-enzymatic antioxidant (GSH), and enzymatic antioxidants (GPx, SOD, CAT) reactions were additionally developed close to the normal (control) level when compared with mercury-treated groups.