Effect of Boswellia serrata Triana & Planch. gum resin administration during lactation on morphology of pyramidal neurons in hippocampus of rat

Background & Aim: In traditional medicine, Boswellia species gum resin known as Frankincense or Olibanum, has been administrated in elderly for enhancement of memory and also in pregnant women to increase memory and intelligence of progeny. However, it has been rarely scientifically documented so far. We have previously reported that maternal administration of Frankincense during lactation increased learning and memory performance. In this study, using animal model of rat, we investigated the morphological changes of pyramidal neurons of hippocampus, an important brain centre involved in learning and memory, following maternal administration of Frankincense during three week of lactation. Experimental: Two months-old male Wistar rats whose mothers were given by gavage the aqueous extract of the B. serrata (0.100 mg/kg/day) during lactation were deeply anesthetized and transcardially perfused with fixative solution. Each brain was then removed from skull and divided into two hemispheres. The right hemispheres were selected for morphometerical study. Transverse sections (100 μm thick) were cut through the entire extent of the hippocampus. In a Golgi study, the number of dendritic branching and segments was counted by Sholl’s method. Results & Discussion: Statistical analysis of data indicated that administration of Frankincense during lactation increase the number of dendritic segments, branching of Cornu Ammonis (CA) pyramidal cells in the hippocampus of rat offspring. There was no significant difference in the dendritic length of CA pyramidal cells between experimental and control groups. These results suggest that maternal administration of Frankincense during lactation increase dendritic arborization in the hippocampus. It can be concluded that such morphological changes leads to an increase in the synaptic contacts and it provides one of the bases for the memory improvement induced by Frankincense administration. Industrial/Practical recommendation: Our findings suggest that Boswellia resin and its active ingredients to be extensively studied in neurophysiology. It also suggests that compounds from Boswellia resin may be used in treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.