Effect of Piper longum on Urinary Metabolites and Its Correlation with Nootropic Activity in Rat Models

Piper longum is one of the Indian traditional plants having lots of therapeutic uses. The present study is aimed to evaluate the antistress activity of aqueous extract of Piper longum in stress models. VMA, 5HIAA, and ascorbic acid were selected as noninvasive biomarkers of urinary metabolites. Continuous administration of different doses of Piper longum (100, 300 mg/kg) and Bacopa moniera (100 mg/kg) to the stressed groups was done prior to the test session. In this study, stress increased the levels of VMA, 5HIAA and decreased levels of HVA, ascorbic acid excretion that can be normalized by the aqueous extracts of Piper longum. This result indicates urinary excretion of biogenic amine metabolites and stress can have some correlation that is rectified by aqueous extract of Piper longum. The food, water intake and the body weights of normal and stressed rats were measured that showed positive signs to the study. With this evidence stress-induced memory loss was found to be reversed by aqueous extract of Piper longum.