Tinospora cordifolia attenuates cognitive impairment in rats with vascular dementia by suppressing TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway induced neuroinflammation

Research Gist

Reduced blood flow to the brain can trigger neuroinflammation, which in turn contributes to cognitive decline. This study, presented as a conference abstract, examined Giloy (Tinospora cordifolia) in a rat model where blood flow to the brain was reduced by partially blocking the carotid arteries. The rats were divided into six groups and treated for 21 days — including three different doses of Giloy ethanolic extract and donepezil as a reference compound. Treatment with Giloy improved blood flow and oxygen saturation in the brain, measured with photoacoustic imaging, and reduced the loss of neurons seen in tissue analysis. Cognitive performance improved across the Morris water maze, open field and novel object recognition tests. At the molecular level, Giloy reduced glial activation and lowered TLR4 and MyD88, key drivers of the NF-κB inflammatory pathway.