The neuroprotective effects of inhaled Juniperus oxycedrus L. subsp. Oxycedrus (Cupressaceae) essential oil on scopolamine-induced Alzheimer's type dementia

In this study, the neuroprotective effects of the essential oils from medicinal plant Juniperus oxycedrus L. subsp. oxycedrus distributed in Turkey on scopolamine induced Alzheimer's type dementia rat model were investigated. Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative illness and increased more in the near future. Juniperus oxycedrus L. Subsp. oxycedrus has been used in traditional medicine for several years, especially in Anatolia. The essential oil of this plant was hydroditilled by Clevenger Apparatus and analyzed by GC-FID-MS. system. Different concentrations (1% and 3%) of the this plant essential oil inhaled to the animals for 14 continuous days. In the essential oil, α-pinene (42.9 %) was found to be the the major component. Inhalation of this oil caused to increase spontaneous alternations % in Y-Maze tests and decreased working memory errors and reference memory errors in Radial Arm-Maze tests, increased the number of open-Arm Entries, increased open arm time percentage and number of Arm Crossings in Elevated Plus-Maze tests, increased swimming time and decreased immobility time in forced swimming test.