The present study investigated an ethanol extract (SSB) of a mixture of three medicinal plants of Vitis amurensis, Aralia cordata, and Glycyrrhizae radix for possible neuroprotective effects on neurotoxicity induced by Amyloid β protein (Aβ) (25-35) in cultured rat cortical neurons and antidementia activity in mice. Exposure of cultured cortical neurons to 15 μM Aβ (25-35) for 36 h induced neuronal apoptotic death. At 1-30 ㎍/㎖, SSB inhibited neuronal death, elevation of intracellular calcium

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... centration ([Ca 2+ ] i ), and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by Aβ (25-35) in cultured cortical neurons. Memory impairment and increase of acetylcholinesterase activity induced by intracerebroventricular injection of mice with 16 nmol Aβ (25-35) was inhibited by chronic treatment with SSB (25, 50 and 100 ㎎/㎏, p.o., for 8 days) . From these results, it is suggested that antidementia effect of SSB is due to its neuroprotective effect against Aβ (25-35)-induced neurotoxicity and that SSB may have a therapeutic role in preventing the progression of Alzheimer's disease.