Sesamol (SML) (Sesamum indicum, Linn, Pedaliaceae) has been used traditionally as a health supplement in India and other countries for a long time. It is a well-known antioxidant, currently being tried against several neurological disorders. The present study was designed to evaluate the potential of sesamol treatment against 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP)-induced cognitive impairment and oxidative damage in striatal, cortex and hippocampal regions of the rat. The memory performance was assessed by Morris water maze and elevated plus maze paradigms. The oxidative damage was assessed by estimating the total glutathione, reduced glutathione, oxidized glutathione levels and glutathione redox ratio. Glutathione-S-transferase and lactate dehydrogenase enzymes were also measured in different brain areas. 3-NP significantly impaired memory performance as assessed in Morris water maze and elevated plus maze, which was significantly attenuated by sesamol (5, 10 and 20 mg/kg) pre-treatment. On the other hand, 3-NP significantly induced oxidative stress and depleted total glutathione, reduced glutathione, glutathione-S-transferase, lactate dehydrogenase enzyme levels and redox ratio in the striatum, cortex and hippocampal regions as compared to the vehicle-treated group. Sesamol pre-treatment restored oxidative defence possibly by its free radical scavenging activity as compared to the 3NP-treated group. The present study suggests that sesamol could be used as an effective agent in the management of Huntington's disease.

Sesamol (SML) obtained from sesame seeds (Sesamum indicum, Linn, Pedaliaceae) has been used as a traditional health food in India and other countries since a long time. Besides its good antioxidant activity, SML is currently receiving considerable attention in relation to neurological disorders. Therefore, the present study has been designed to explore the protective role of SML in 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP)-induced neurotoxicity in animals. Male rats were given 3-NP (10 mg/kg) treatment for 14 days. Various behavioral observations (body weight, locomotor activity), oxidative damage (lipid peroxidation, nitrite level, superoxide dismutase, and catalase enzyme), and mitochondrial enzyme complex functions were also assessed in the striatum, cortex, and hippocampal regions of the brain. 3-NP treatment significantly impaired locomotor activity, motor coordination, body weight, oxidative damage, and mitochondrial enzyme complex functions as compared with vehicle-treated groups. SML (5, 10, and 20 mg/kg) pre-treatment significantly improved body weight, locomotor activity, motor coordination, and attenuated oxidative damage in different regions of rat brain. Besides these, SML treatment also significantly improved mitochondrial enzymes in all regions of the brain as compared with the respective control (3-NP) group. The present study suggests that SML could be used as effective agents in the management of Huntington's disease.