Effect of oral imperatorin on memory in mice.

The aim of this study was to explore the effect of the acetylcholinesterase inhibiting mixture of extracts of Angelica archangelica fruit and Geranium sylvaticum on memory. Furthermore the effect of the main compound, the furanocoumarin imperatorin, which has been shown to affect several neurotransmitters, was studied. Passive avoidance was measured by step-down latency and step-through latency of 10 months old mice receiving 0.79 mg/kg of imperatorin daily, pure or as part of the extracts, for 14 days or longer. Step-down latency was significantly higher in both groups receiving imperatorin than in the control group. In contrast, no difference was found between treatment groups regarding step-through latency. The results indicate that the imperatorin is the main active component of the extract mixture.