Histological and Histochemical Studies on the Neuroprotective Effect of Aqueous Fruit Extract of Phoenix Dactylifera L. (Date Palm) on Mercury-Induced Cerebellar Damage in Wistar Rats

The cerebellum is vulnerable to damage from a variety of sources such as degenerative diseases, infectious processes and toxins, like, mercury. In traditional medicine, various parts of Phoenix dactylifera (date palm) are used to treat disorders, such as, loss of consciousness, nervous disorders, memory disturbances, etc, in different parts of the world. The neuroprotective effect of aqueous fruit extract of Phoenix dactylifera (AFPD) was assessed against mercury-induced cerebellar damage in Wistar rats. Twenty-four Wistar rats were divided into six groups (A• F) of four rats each. Group A (control) was administered distilled water (0.5 ml/kg p.o) while, groups B-F were treatment groups. Cerebellar damage was induced in rats by the administration of mercury (HgCl2). Group B was administered HgCl2 (5mg/kg p.o) only. Group C was administered vitamin C (100mg/kg) as reference drug; groups D-F were administered AFPD (250mg/kg, 500mg/kg and 1000mg/kg p. o, respectively) followed, concurrently, by HgCl2 (5mg/kg p.o) for a period of 14 days. Neuroprotective activity was studied by histologic examination of brain sections (cerebellar cortex) applying routine (H&E) and histochemical (cresly fast violet) staining techniques. Histologic examination of cerebellar sections of mercury-intoxicated rats revealed cortical degenerative changes, such as, perineuronal vacuolations and degeneration of Purkinje cells, and alteration in the general histoarchitecture of cerebellar cortex. The administration of AFPD remarkably ameliorated mercury-induced neuronal damage in rats, dose-dependently, comparable to the reference drug, vitamin C. Result suggests that AFPD is a potential candidate for application in the management and treatment of chemically-induced neurodegenerative diseases, and neuroprotective activity is probably due to its constituent antioxidant properties.

Key Words: Cerebellar cortex, Histology, Mercury,Neuroprotection, Phoenix dactylifera