Therapeutic potential of Heinsia crinita (bush apple) aqueous leaf extract on codeine-induced motor dysfunction and cerebellar histology of Wistar rats

Abstract

Codeine is a short-acting narcotic opioid that has been used extensively in medicine for over a hundred years. It is used as an antitussive in small doses to reduce unproductive coughing and diarrhea and as an analgesic for mild to moderate pain. Despite its many uses, codeine should be used with caution because of its possible negative effects and dependence risk, connection to oxidative stress through multiple mechanisms and inflammatory reactions, malfunctioning cholinergic and dopaminergic systems, and eventual neurodegeneration that affects the hippocampus. The leaves of Heinsia crinita are used as a vegetable in regional cooking or as an ingredient in alcoholic beverages that are used to treat a diverse conditions, such as bacterial infections, diabetes, high blood pressure, and pharmacologically produced neuroprotective effects. This study was to evaluate attenuative effect of Heinsia crinita on codeine-induced memory impairment and hippocampal neurodegenerative changes in adult wistar rats. After obtaining 48 mature male Wistar rats, they were split up into six groups (groups 1–6; n = 8). Group I (control) was given distilled water (1 milliliter per kilogram), Group II
was given only codeine (10 milligrams per kilogram), Group III was given codeine (10 milligrams per kilogram) and then Naloxone 0.2 mg/kg, Groups IV, V, and VI were given codeine (10 milligrams per kilogram) and then ALHC (100, 200, and 300 milligrams per kilogram, respectively). Motor coordination, acetylcholinesterase level and cerebellar cortex degeneration were ascertained. Results
revealed increased time taken to transverse the Beam walk apparatus (p < 0.05), acetylcholinesterase level (p < 0.05) and neuronal distortion of the cytoarchitecture of the cerebellar cortex following codeine administration. However, ALHC treatment decreased time taken to transverse the Beam walk apparatus (p < 0.05), acetylcholinesterase level (p < 0.05) and improved cytoarchitecture of the
cerebellar cortex. There is also increased staining intensity and reduced astrogliosis of the cerebellar cortex after treatment. These improvements following the cytotoxic effect of codeine is supportive of the suggestive ameliorative properties of H. crinita on motor dysfunction and cytoarchitecture distortion of the cerebellar cortex of Wistar rats.