EFFECTS OF CURCUMA ZEDOARIA RHIZOME GUMMY CANDY ON SPATIAL MEMORYAND HIPPOCAMPAL CA1 HISTOPATHOLOGY IN ALCOHOL-INDUCED MALE Rattusnorvegicus

Abstrak

Background: Memory impairment is a critical issue affecting cognitive function and quality of life, often associated with oxidative stress and neuronal damage in the hippocampal CA1 region. Curcuma zedoaria (white turmeric) contains curcuminoids and flavonoids with antioxidant and neuroprotective properties, yet its potential in an innovative gummy candy dosage form remains underexplored. This study aimed to evaluate the neuroprotective effect of gummy candy containing Curcuma zedoaria rhizome fraction on spatial memory and hippocampal CA1 histopathology in an alcohol-induced rat model.
Methods: This experimental study used a randomized post-test-only control group design involving 25 male Rattus norvegicus divided into five groups. Animals received gummy candy containing Curcuma zedoaria rhizome fraction at doses of 150, 200, and 250 mg, alongside negative (0.5% CMC-Na) and positive (Ginkgo biloba) controls, for 7 days, followed by induction with 70% ethanol (0.5 mL/rat/day) for 7 days. On day 15, histopathological analysis of the hippocampal CA1 region was performed using hematoxylin–eosin staining, with neuronal necrosis quantified across three microscopic fields per sample and analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey's post hoc test.
Results: Treatment groups showed reduced neuronal necrosis and improved cellular architecture compared with the negative control. The 250 mg dose demonstrated the strongest neuroprotective effect, with the lowest mean neuronal damage (4.33) compared to the negative control (12.26), a result comparable to the positive control (8.59) (p<0.05).
Conclusion: Curcuma zedoaria gummy candy exhibits dose-dependent neuroprotective effects against alcohol-induced hippocampal CA1 damage, supporting its potential as an innovative functional neuroprotective agent