Objective: To study the effects and possible mechanisms of phenylallyl compounds from Guizhi Tang (PCGZT) on learning and memory impairment in APP transgenic Alzheimer's disease(AD) mice. Method: Three-month-old APP transgenic AD mice were randomly divided into model group

aspirin group

piracetam group

huperzine-A group

PCGZT groups (high

medium and low doses)

and normal control group (C57BL/6J mice) according to their weight

with 10 in each group. These mice were intragastrically administered with aspirin (20 mg·kg-1·d-1)

piracetam (600 mg·kg-1·d-1)

huperzine-A (0.3 mg·kg-1·d-1) and different doses of PCGZT (64.4

32.2

16.1 mg·kg-1·d-1) respectively for consecutively 5 months. Model groups and normal control group were treated with 0.5%carboxymethy cellulose sodium (CMC-Na). The abilities of learning and memory of mice were detected by step down test and morris water maze test. The contents of matrix metalloprotein-2 (MMP-2) and matrix metalloprotein-9 (MMP-9) in the blood serum and malondialdehyde (MDA) activity in brain tissues were measured. Result: Compared with model group

PCGZT can reduce latent reaction time (P < 0.05)

error frequency (P < 0.01) and total time of error period (P < 0.01)

improve total time of safety period (P < 0.05) of APP transgenic AD mice in step down test

low dose group of PCGZT can improve percentage of the platform quadrant distance (P < 0.01) and the platform quadrant time (P < 0.05) in morris water maze test. At the same time

PCGZT can decrease MDA and MMP-2 contents in the serum (P < 0.05). Conclusion: PCGZT can dramatically alleviate the learning and memory impairment of APP transgenic AD mice

and its mechanism may involve multiple drug targets.