Treatment with Tinospora cordifolia ameliorates prenatal stress and maternal separation-induced memory deficits by restoring amygdaloid neuronal architecture

Introduction: Tinospora cordifolia (TC) possesses antioxidative properties and has been shown to improve cognition. In this study, the effects of TC were investigated on prenatal vibratory stress, maternal separation-induced amygdala plasticity, and memory retention in pregnant rats and their neonates. Methods: Four experimental animal groups of pregnant Wistar rats were employed in this research, including normal & vehicle controls, the stressed group, which received 3 hours of vibratory stress/day, and the TC-treated group, which received 6 mg/kg TC before vibratory stress. The neonates born to these mothers were then subjected to maternal separation, followed by postnatal TC treatment. After 6 weeks, the animals were assessed to evaluate memory retention, serum cortisol levels, and neuronal structural changes in the amygdala. Results: Neonates exposed to prenatal vibratory stress and maternal separation entered the dark compartment more quickly during the retention test (P