Effect of Rosmarinic Acid on Aged Mice in Morris Water Maze Performance

In the present study, we used the Morris water maze (MWM) to evaluate the effect of Rosmarinic acid (RosA) on learning and memory of D-galactose (D-gal) induced aging mice. To study the learning and memory changes characteristic in animal models of aging treated with RosA, a natural phenolic acid. Animal models of aging were established by using D-gal. Female BALB/c mice randomly divided into the control group, model group and 3 doses of RosA treatment groups. MWM, the behavior model was used to research the process of learning and memory. Mice treated with RosA could significantly reduce the latency compared with the mice of the model group in 4 days training test, and the swimming speed were faster than that of it. In the probe trials on the fifth day, the percent of target quadrant search of mice in the RosA treated groups were obviously increased compared with the mice of the model group, and the number of across the target were obviously more than that of it. Therefore, we conclude that RosA ameliorated the impaired learning and memory behavior induced by D-gal in mice and the effective doses were 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight.