The effect of Lavandula dentata aerial parts hydroalcoholic extract on learning and memory in male streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat

Background and Objective: Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder and oxidative stress plays an important role in the development of diabetic complications such as learning and memory impairment. Since Lavendula species improve learning and memory and Lavandula dentata contains antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and it is used as ustokhoddus in Iran, we have designed this research to study its effects on diabetes-induced learning and memory impairment.   Materials and Methods: Forty male rats were divided into 4 groups including control, control diabetic, healthy Lavendula dentata, and diabetic Lavendula dentata. A single dose of streptozotocin was used for diabetes induction in diabetic animals. After 6 weeks, Lavendula dentata treatment was performed as an intraperitoneal injection of 400 mg/kg for two weeks, 30 min before each behavioral test. The eight-arm radial maze method with two way repeated-measures ANOVA test were used to evaluate learning and memory and one-way ANOVA was used for comparing blood glucose between different groups.   Results: Diabetes caused learning and memory damage in the form of increasing working and reference memory errors and use of Lavendula dentata in the diabetic group caused a significant reduction in the number of related errors. Romian ustokhoddus also declined blood glucose in diabetic group.   Conclusion: Lavendula dentata consumption in diabetic rats improved diabetes-induced learning and memory impairment. This effect might be mediate at least partly by decreasing blood glucose.