Stroke is the most significant cause of disability worldwide. Despite mounting data supporting memory deficit after stroke, dysfunction and treatment effect mechanisms remain unknown. Phenolics can be found in a variety of fruits and vegetables. There is, however, a scarcity of research on the therapeutic potential of the phenolics fraction of Tetrapleura tetraptera (PTT) fruit against ischemic stroke-induced abnormalities in hippocampal tissue. The rats were divided into five groups: Group I, vehicle; group II, ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)+vehicle; group III, I/R+50 mg/kg minocycline (MNC); group IV, I/R+100 mg/kg PTT; and group V, I/R+200 mg/kg PTT. Ischemia was induced via bilateral common carotid artery occlusion for 30 minutes followed by reperfusion. PTT and MNC were intraorally administered daily for 7 days. Neurodegenerative changes, cornu ammonis 1 (CA1) and cornu ammonis 3 (CA3) pyramidal cell count, levels of oxidative stress indicators, and memory functions were assessed. Rats treated with PTT, as well as MNC compared to untreated I/R rats, showed a substantial (P<0.05) rise in catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione levels, as well as decreased lipid peroxidation and improved memory. I/R resulted in histoarchitectural distortions, a marked decrease (P<0.05) in the intensity of the Nissl substance, and a striking decrease (P<0.05) in the number of pyramidal cells in the CA1 and CA3. PTT and MNC-treated groups showed significant attenuation in all the above parameters. Taking together, these findings revealed that PTT attenuated oxidative stress, histologic alterations and substantially restored memory impairment in the I/R rat model.

Keywords: Tetrapleura, Stroke, Oxidative stress, Phenolic, Memory disorders