Investigation on South Indian Shankhpushpi

In the Ayurvedic system of medicine, the whole herb of Canscora decussata Schult. (a South Indian Shankhpushpi) has been employed traditionally for its memory potentiating, anxiolytic and tranquilizing properties. In search of above mention claim present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of Canscora decussata (CD), in In Vivo behavioral, learning and memory in rodents. High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) fingerprinting of ethanolic extract revealed presence of mangiferin as its main constituents. The ethanolic extract in the dose of 400 mg/kg showed significant effects on learning and memory whereas the mangiferin showed a significant activity at a dose of 100 mg/kg p.o. The histological studies further substantiate that neuronal density plays a major role to underpin learning and memory of CD and Mangiferin