African mistletoe (Loranthaceae) ameliorates cholesterol-induced motor deficit and oxidative stress in adult BALB/c mice

INTRODUCTION: Disturbances in cholesterol homeostasis can influence neuronal cell membranes and induce oxidative stress, which can impact motor function. African mistletoe (Loranthaceae) is a hemiparasitic plant which has been employed in the treatment and management of several ailments including strokes and epilepsies. AIM: This study was undertaken to determine the ameliorative effect of African mistletoe in cholesterol-induced motor deficit in BALB/c mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty mice were used for this study. They were divided into four groups, namely, control, experimental, extract, and treatment. The motor deficit was established by feeding the mice with a diet enriched with 2% cholesterol for 8 weeks. Mice were subsequently treated with a mistletoe methanolic extract preparation through oral administration (200 mg/kg daily for 2 weeks) or with normal saline (0.5 ml) as a control. Data were expressed as a mean ± standard error of the mean; P < 0.05 and P < 0.01 (level of significance). RESULTS: The high cholesterol diet (HCD) induced a statistically significant motor deficit when compared to the other groups. After 8 weeks of HCD feeding, histological results showed remarkable structural disruptions in the corpus striatum and the cerebellar cortex of the BALB/c mice. Administration of 200 mg/kg of methanolic extract of mistletoe ameliorated histomorphological distortion produced by the chronic exposure to an HCD. CONCLUSION: The study findings have revealed that chronic exposure to a HCD can impact the motor neural systems and their functions, and treatment with methanolic extract of African mistletoe improves motor function in BALB/c mice.