Supplement
Celastrus paniculatus is an Indian climbing plant whose seeds have long been used traditionally, and its extracts appear to act on acetylcholine, a brain chemical involved in memory. People mostly look at it for age-related memory decline, and in rodent studies the seed extract improved memory retention. Evidence is limited, though, since nearly all of it comes from animals or lab work rather than people.
Sources: PMID 28066108; PMID 36809523
- Updated
- How we grade
- 13 studies cited
- Best evidence
- Grade C
- Conditions studied
- 3
- Outcomes
- 7
- Graded outcomes
- 0025
Evidence by condition
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
General
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neuroprotection In rodent and in vitro models, Celastrus paniculatus seed extracts protected neurons against glutamate toxicity, scopolamine-induced impairment, and oxidative stress. Mechanisms include reduced lipid peroxidation, enhanced antioxidant enzymes, attenuation of NF-kB-mediated neuroinflammation, and reduced intracellular calcium influx. | Improves (the measure goes up) | Moderate effect | 5 studies | |||
Studies that measured neuroprotection
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| Depression In mice, Celastrus paniculatus seed oil (50–200 mg/kg for 14 days) significantly reduced immobility in both tail suspension and forced swim tests, with efficacy comparable to fluoxetine. The antidepressant-like effect appears mediated through dopamine D2, serotonergic, and GABAB receptors, as well as MAO-A inhibition. | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 2 studies | |||
| Stress Resilience In rodent models of chronic immobilization stress, Celastrus paniculatus seed oil restored antioxidant enzyme levels and improved cognitive performance impaired by chronic stress exposure. The oil also reduced plasma corticosterone levels in stressed mice. | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 2 studies | |||
| Intestinal Smooth Muscle Relaxation A Celastrus paniculatus seed extract exerted potent myogenic relaxation of isolated rat ileum (IC50: 0.24 µg/mL; near-complete inhibition at 99%) via an L-type Ca2+-dependent mechanism. Notably, the effect was also confirmed in isolated human ileum tissue, supporting its traditional use for intestinal spasms. | Improves (the measure goes up) | Moderate effect | 1 study | |||
Studies that measured intestinal smooth muscle relaxation | ||||||
Anxiety Disorders (Other)
- Anxiety: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anxiety In rat models, Celastrus paniculatus seed oil (1–1.5 g/kg) showed significant anxiolytic activity in elevated plus maze and open field tests without producing tolerance. The anxiolytic effect may involve GABA modulation. | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 2 studies | |||
Cardiovascular Health
- Cholesterol: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cholesterol In hypercholesterolemic Wistar rats, methanolic seed extract of Celastrus paniculatus (65 mg/kg) substantially reduced plasma total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL cholesterol while increasing HDL, with results comparable to standard hypolipidemic drugs. Mechanism may involve HMG-CoA reductase inhibition and elevated lipoprotein lipase activity. | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 1 study | |||
Studies that measured cholesterol | ||||||
Key findings
- Cognitive FunctionImproves (the measure goes up)
- NeuroprotectionImproves (the measure goes up)
- AnxietyImproves (the measure goes down)
Safety notes in the studies
- In rodent and in vitro models, Celastrus paniculatus seed extracts protected neurons against glutamate toxicity, scopolamine-induced impairment, and oxidative stress.
Studies cited
13 studies from PubMed
- Celastrus paniculatus oil ameliorates NF-KB mediated neuroinflammation and synaptic plasticity in the scopolamine-induced cognitive impairment rat model
- Neuroprotective Effect of Celastrus Paniculatus Seed Extract on Epilepsy and Epilepsy-associated Cognitive Deficits
- Protective effect of Celastrus paniculatus on cognitive function in glutamate-induced brain-injured mice by reducing the intracellular influx of Ca
- Neuroprotective effect of Celastrus paniculatus on chronic stress-induced cognitive impairment
- Behavioral and Biochemical Evidences for Antidepressant-Like Activity of Celastrus Paniculatus Seed Oil in Mice
- Nootropic activity of Celastrus paniculatus seed
- Hypolipidemic Effect of Celastrus paniculatus in Experimentally Induced Hypercholesterolemic Wistar Rats
- Effect of Celastrus paniculatus seed oil (Jyothismati oil) on acute and chronic immobilization stress induced in swiss albino mice
- Potent relaxant effect of a Celastrus paniculatus extract in the rat and human ileum
- Evaluation of anxiolytic potential of Celastrus oil in rat models of behaviour
- Celastrus paniculatus seed water soluble extracts protect against glutamate toxicity in neuronal cultures from rat forebrain
- Antioxidant property of Celastrus paniculatus willd.: a possible mechanism in enhancing cognition
- Effects of Celastrus paniculatus on passive avoidance performance and biogenic amine turnover in albino rats