Background: Brahmi (Bacopa monniera) is a traditional Indian medicinal plant which causes multiple effects on the central nervous system. The standardized extract of this plant has shown enhanced behavioural learning in preclinical studies and enhanced information processing in healthy volunteers.
Aim: To study the efficacy of standardized Bacopa monniera extract (SBME) in subjects with age-associated memory impairment (AAMI) without any evidence of dementia or psychiatric disorder.
Methods: A double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized study design was employed. The subjects received either 125 mg of SBME or placebo twice a day for a period of 12 weeks followed by a placebo period of another 4 weeks (total duration of the trial 16 weeks). Each subject was evaluated for cognition on a battery of tests comprising mental control, logical memory, digit forward, digit backward, visual reproduction and paired associate learning.
Results: SBME produced significant improvement on mental control, logical memory and paired associated learning during the 12-week drug therapy.
Conclusion: SBME is efficacious in subjects with age-associated memory impairment.
Keywords: Brahmi, Bacopa monniera, cognition, memory, AAMI
Randomized controlled trial of standardized Bacopa monniera extract in age-associated memory impairment, Indian Journal of Psychiatry 2006, Sangeeta Raghav,* Harjeet Singh, P.K. Dalal, J.S. Srivastava, and O.P. Asthana

BACKGROUND: Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is the most common anxiety disorder. GAD has high comorbidities and it can affect social, professional and personal life. Ayurvedic medicine, Brahmi vati is explored for the possible role in management of GAD and is compared to Manasmitra vataka.AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of B. vati on Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
METHODS: A randomized double blind controlled trial, with total 56 patients meeting the DSM V criteria of GAD between 20-60years of age and either sex participated in the study. Participants were randomly divided into two groups, Brahmi group received capsule B. vati 500 mg and Manasmitra group received capsule M. vataka 500 mg thrice a day with water for 45 days. Assessments were conducted through various clinical parameters such as Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS), GAD 7 scale(GAD 7), Beck Depression Inventory scale (BDI), Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), WHO Quality of Life- BREF (WHOQOL-BREF), Clinical Global Improvement scale (CGI). Blood variables including Haemoglobin, Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR), Liver Function Test (LFT) and serum creatinine were assessed before and after the study. Assessments during intervention were conducted on every 15th day.
RESULTS: Study results indicate that both B. vati and M. vataka were comparable and each produced significant improvement(p max 0.001) in HARS, GAD-7, BDI, ESS, PSQI, WHOQOL-BREF and CGI. Brahmi vati also produced significant decrease in systolic(p = 0.002) and diastolic (p max 0.001) blood pressure. Both groups showed good safety profile evaluated through the assessment of serum creatinine levels and LFT.
CONCLUSION: B. vati and M. vataka were effective, safe and comparable in the management of GAD. Warrants further studies.
Efficacy of Brahmi vati in generalised anxiety disorder - Randomized double blind comparative clinical trial. Khot SG, Tubaki BR, Gonugade VB 21 mars 2022 J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2022 Mar 21. 132100552

The antistress effect of bacosides of Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri, BBM), dissolved in distilled water, was studied in adult male Sprague Dawley rats by administering oral doses of 20 and 40 mg/kg for 7 consecutive days. In half of the animals treated with 20 or 40 mg/kg of BBM, stress was given 2 h after the last dose. Stress was also administered to the animals treated with distilled water alone. BBM, at both doses, did not induce a significant change in the expression of Hsp70 in any brain region studied while stress alone produced a significant increase in the Hsp70 expression in all the brain regions. A significant decrease in the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) was evident in the hippocampus with the lower dose of BBM and in animals given stress alone, while an increase in the activity of SOD was observed in the brain regions with the higher dose of BBM. An increase in the activity of cytochrome P450 (P450) dependent 7-pentoxyresorufin-o-dealkylase (PROD) and 7-ethoxyresorufin-o-deethylase (EROD) was observed in all the brain regions after exposure to stress alone and with both doses of BBM although the magnitude of induction of P450 expression was less with a higher dose of BBM.
Interestingly, stress when given to the animals pretreated with BBM for 7 days resulted in a decrease in Hsp70 expression in all the brain regions with a significant decrease occurring only in the hippocampus. Likewise the activity of SOD was found to be further reduced in all the brain regions in the animals treated with the lower dose of BBM followed by stress. However, when stress was given to the animals pretreated with the higher dose of BBM, a significant increase in the enzyme activity was observed in the cerebral cortex and in the rest of the brain while the activity of SOD was reduced to a much greater extent in the cerebellum and in the hippocampus. Likewise, the activity of P450 enzymes was found to be restored to almost control levels in the animals given stress and pretreated with the higher dose of BBM, while a lesser degree of induction, compared with animals treated with BBM or stress alone, was observed in the animals pretreated with the lower dose of BBM and given stress. The data indicate that BBM has potential to modulate the activities of Hsp70, P450 and SOD thereby possibly allowing the brain to be prepared to act under adverse conditions such as stress.
Effect of Bacosides on modulation of Hsp70 expression Superoxide Dismutase and Cytochrome P450 Bacopin [SBBACOP20], PHYTOTHERAPY RESEARCH Phytother. Res. 16, 639–645 (2002) - D. Kar Chowdhuri, D. Parmar, P. Kakkar, R. Shukla, P. K. Seth and R. C. Srimal

Objectives: Study aims were to evaluate effects of Bacopa monnieri whole plant standardized dry extract on cognitive function and affect and its safety and tolerability in healthy elderly study participants.
Design: The study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial with a placebo run-in of 6 weeks and a treatment period of 12 weeks. Setting/location: Volunteers were recruited from the community to a clinic in Portland, Oregon by public notification.
Subjects: Fifty-four (54) participants, 65 or older (mean 73.5 years), without clinical signs of dementia, were recruited and randomized to Bacopa or placebo. Forty-eight (48) completed the study with 24 in each group.
Interventions: Standardized B. monnieri extract 300 mg/day or a similar placebo tablet orally for 12 weeks.
Outcome measures: The primary outcome variable was the delayed recall score from the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT). Other cognitive measures were the Stroop Task assessing the ability to ignore irrelevant information, the Divided Attention Task (DAT), and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) letter-digit test of immediate working memory. Affective measures were the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CESD)-10 depression scale, and the Profile of Mood States. Vital signs were also monitored.
Results: Controlling for baseline cognitive deficit using the Blessed Orientation–Memory–Concentration test, Bacopa participants had enhanced AVLT delayed word recall memory scores relative to placebo. Stroop results were similarly significant, with the Bacopa group improving and the placebo group unchanged. CESD-10 depression scores, combined state plus trait anxiety scores, and heart rate decreased over time for the Bacopa group but increased for the placebo group. No effects were found on the DAT, WAIS digit task, mood, or blood pressure. The dose was well tolerated with few adverse events (Bacopa n 9, placebo n 10), primarily stomach upset.
Conclusions: This study provides further evidence that B. monnieri has potential for safely enhancing cognitive performance in the aging.
Effects of a Standardized Bacopa monnieri Extract on Cognitive Performance, Anxiety, and Depression in the Elderly: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial, The Journal Of Alternative And Complementary Medicine Volume 14, Number 6, 2008, pp. 707–713, ,Carlo Calabrese, N.D., M.P.H., William L. Gregory, Ph.D., Michael Leo, Ph.D.,Dale Kraemer, Ph.D

Bacopa monniera (BM), a traditional Ayurvedic medicine, used for centuries as a memory enhancing, anti- inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic, sedative and antiepileptic agent. The plant, plant extract and isolated bacosides (the major active principles) have been extensively investigated in several laboratories for their neuropharmacological effects and a number of reports are available confirming their nootropic action. In addition, researchers have evaluated the anti-inflammatory, cardiotonic and other pharmacological effects of BM preparations/extracts. Therefore, in view of the important activities performed by this plant, investigation must be continued in the recently observed actions described in this paper. Moreover, other clinical studies have to be encouraged, also to evidence any side effects and possible interactions between this herbal medicine and synthetic drugs.
BM, a traditional Ayurvedic medicinal plant has been used for centuries as a memory-enhancing, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic, sedative, and antiepileptic agent. More recently, preclinical studies have reported cognitive enhancing effects with various extracts of BM, but the exact mechanism of its actions is still uncertain, as its multiple active constituents make its pharmacology complex. It has been suggested that BM, like GB, exhibits neuroprotective and cognitive enhancing effects, in part due to its, capacity to modulate the cholinergic system (Bhattacharya et al., 1999) and to contrast oxidative stress (Bhattacharya et al., 2000; Russo et al., 2003a, b). Therefore, in view of the important actions performed by this plant, further research must be undertaken into the recent findings described here. Although pre-clinical animal studies have shown that BM, like GB, has nootropic effects in established learning and memory models, few clinical studies have been performed to complement these findings. Literature data reported that BM given chronically improved early information processing and verbal learning and memory consolidation in humans (Stough et al., 2001). However, as reported for GB extract (Nathan et al., 2002), no acute effects on cognitive function were found at a lower dose (Nathan et al., 2001), even when BM extract was combined with GB extract (Maher et al., 2002). As suggested by the authors, it is possible that the combined administration of both these extracts chronically may exert more potent effects on cognitive function. Therefore, other clinical investigations have to be encouraged, also in order to evidence any possible side effects. Different studies indicated that interactions between herbal medicines and synthetic drugs exist and can have serious clinical consequences (Izzo and Ernst, 2001). GB raised blood pressure when combined with a thiazide diuretic and coma in a patient with AD taking low-dose trazodone. It is therefore extremely important to also consider the possibility of BM–drug interaction.
Bacopa monniera, a reputed nootropic plant: an overview. A Russo 1, F Borrelli. Phytomedecine Italy, Phytomedicine 12 (2005) 305–317, University of Catania, Catania, University of Naples ‘Federico II’

Cure of cognitive disorders such as amnesia, attention deficit and Alzheimer’s disease is still a nightmare in the field of medicine. Nootropic agents such as piracetam, aniracetam and choline esterase inhibitors like Donepezil are being used to improve memory, mood and behavior, but the resulting side effects associated with these agents have made their use limited. The present study was undertaken to assess the potential of Brahmi rasayana (BR) as a memory enhancer. BR (100 and 200 mg / kg p.o.) was administered for eight successive days to both young and aged mice. Elevated plus maze and passive-avoidance paradigm were employed to evaluate learning and memory parameters. Scopolamine (0.4 mg / kg i.p.) was used to induce amnesia in mice. The effect of BR on whole brain AChE activity was also assessed. Piracetam (200 mg / kg i.p.) was used as a standard nootropic agent. BR significantly improved learning and memory in young mice and reversed the amnesia induced by both scopolamine (0.4 mg / kg i.p.) and natural aging. BR significantly decreased whole brain acetyl cholinesterase activity. BR might prove to be a useful memory restorative agent in the treatment of dementia seen in elderly.
Brahmi rasayana Improves Learning and Memory in Mice, Division of Pharmacology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guru Jambheshwar University, Advance Access Publication 16 January 2006 eCAM 2006; 3 (1)79–85 doi:10. 1093/ ecam/nek014

Objective: To eavaluate the CNS activity of Bramhi Ghrita, a polyherbal formulation containing Bacopa monneri, Evolvulus alsinoids, Acorus calamus, Saussurea lappa and cow’s ghee.
Materials and Methods: The effect of Bramhi Ghrita on motor coordination, behavior, sleep, convulsions, locomotion and analgesia was evaluated in mice using standard procedures.
Results: The formulation exhibited reduced alertness, spontaneous locomotor activity and reactivity.
It also antagonized the behavioral effects of d-amphetamine, potentiated the pentobarbitoneinduced sleep and increased the pain threshold. Bramhi Ghrita protected mice from maximum electroshock and pentylene tetrazole-induced convulsions.
Conclusion: The Bramhi Ghrita was found to be a CNS depressant with anticonvulsant activity.
KEY WORDS: Anticonvulsant, panchagavya
Evaluation of CNS activity of Bacopa, Bramhi Ghrita, G. S. Achliya, S. G. Wadodkar, A. K. Dorle, Indian J Pharmacol, February 2005, Vol 37, Issue 1, 33-36