Piper cubeba L. f. Nanoemulsion: Formulation and Effect on Antioxidant Activity in Rat's Hippocampus and Prefrontal Cortex

Abstract

The previous study showed that P. cubeba extract increased brain antioxidant capacity, alleviating cognitive impairment in rats. However, brain-targeted drug delivery is often limited by the brain-blood barrier. One of the approaches to overcome this obstacle is nanocarrier. This study aimed to formulate a nanoemulsion of P. cubeba extract and determine the antioxidant activity in the brain. The research begins with the determination of excipients and the formula of the nanoemulsion. The formula was then tested for globule size, polydispersity index, thermodynamic stability, zeta potential, pH, and viscosity. The globule's shape was determined using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The antioxidant activity was tested by catalase and lipid peroxidase activity in the brain after giving the nanoemulsion (NE) orally for seven days. Formulations of NE resulted in nano-size globules and were stable thermodynamically. The chosen NE formula significantly increased catalase and inhibited lipid peroxidase activities in the Rat's hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. This study resulted in a stable formula and low-cost production of P. cubeba extract nanoemulsion, which is active as the brain's antioxidant and is feasible to develop as a neuroprotective agent for various neurodegenerative diseases.

Keywords

• Antioxidant
• Nanoemulsion
• Neuroprotective