Elhawary_2025_J.Ethnopharmacol__120392

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Tectona grandis, also known as Teak, is a biologically valuable member of the mint family. It was used in folk medicine to alleviate inflammation and its related disorders. Besides being an eco-friendly material, the leaves are popularly consumed as natural food colorants and packaging owing to their chemical and physical behavior. AIM OF THE STUDY: Chemobrain, constitutes a prevalent phenomenon that triggers inflammation through various mechanisms and concomitantly affects the cognitive function in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Thus, the optimum goal of the current study was to examine the potential impact of the ethanol extract of Tectona grandis leaves and its nanoformulation in the alleviation of neurological dysfunction triggered by oxaliplatin in vivo, as well as to contemplate the possible underlying mechanisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (LC-qTOF-MS/MS) was used for phytochemical profiling of the leaf extract. In vivo neuroprotective activity evaluation of T. grandis and its nanoemulsion was performed using forty-eight male Wistar rats where neurological dysfunction triggered by chemotherapy in rodents receiving oxaliplatin. Behavioral tests were conducted blindly to assess cognitive function in rats then the rats were euthanized and hippocampi were dissected and several biochemical parameters were determined. RESULTS: LC-qTOF-MS/MS resulted in the tentative identification of fifty-six phytochemical components belonging mainly to flavonoids, phenolic acids, tannins and terpenoids. Full characterization of the nanoemulsion revealed a particle size of 69.52 +/- 7.83 nm, PDI of 0.23 +/- 0.08, and Zeta potential of -7.73 +/- 0.10. The prepared nanoemulsion was found to be stable for three months in storage. It prevented the cognitive impairment induced by oxaliplatin administration. In addition, it prevented the increase in acetylcholinesterase activity in hippocampal tissues and buffered oxaliplatin induced oxidative stress by its action on nitric oxide level and superoxide dismutase activity. T. grandis counteracted the neuroinflammation induced by oxaliplatin by its action on the TLR4/NF-B/NLRP3 axis. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that T. grandis could be an effective treatment against oxaliplatin-induced chemobrain and cognitive deficits via relieving inflammation that in turn consolidated its traditional popularity.