Swiss albino mice were pretreated with hydro-alcoholic extract of Passiflora incarnata (0.4mg/kg; i.p.) and exposed to global cerebral ischemia induced by bilateral carotid artery occlusion for 13 min followed by reperfusion for 24 h. Cerebral ischemia reperfusion induced infarct size, behavioral, biochemical and histological changes were compared. Pretreatment with hydro-alcoholic extract of Passiflora incarnata (0.4mg/kg; i.p.) significantly reduced cerebral infarct size and attenuated impairment in short-term memory and motor coordination. The protective effect of hydro-alcoholic extract of Passiflora incarnata was accompanied by a marked decrease in mitochondrial TBARS. These findings indicate that Passiflora incarnata pretreatment showed its neuroprotective effects may be through modulation of GABAA receptor.
