en Neurophysiology/Pharmacology Neurophysiology/Pharmacology Experimental research article Experimental research article <p dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><b>Introduction: </b><font face="Arial,Arial"><font face="Arial,Arial">Oxidative stress seems to play a critical role in the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson&rsquo;s disease (PD). Antioxidant compounds can deactivate and scavenge free radical. Olive leaves are considered as a useful source of phenolic compounds. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate the effects of methanolic olive leaf extract (OLE) on neurobehavioral activity and antioxidant enzyme activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) levels in striatum of rats in an experimental model of PD. </font></font></span><span style="font-size: 12px;"><b>Methods: </b><font face="Arial,Arial"><font face="Arial,Arial">The PD was induced in animals by intrastriatal injection of 6-hydroxydopamin unilaterally. Animals were pretreated with the OLE (50, 100 and 150 mg/kg body weight) for 7 weeks, and then behavioral activity (narrow beam and grip testes) and antioxidant parameters were evaluated. </font></font></span><span style="font-size: 12px;"><b>Results: </b><font face="Arial,Arial"><font face="Arial,Arial">In our study behavioral testes showed improvement in motor coordination and balance behavior in rats pretreated with OLE. Furthermore the extract of olive leaf restored the activity of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase and catalase) and decreased MDA and increased GSH levels in the brain of rats. </font></font></span><span style="font-size: 12px;"><b>Conclusion: </b><font face="Arial,Arial"><font face="Arial,Arial">Our results suggest that OLE shows a neuroprotective effect in animal models of Parkinson&#39;s disease.</font></font></span></p> Olive leaf extract, Oxidative stress, 6-Hydroxydopamine, Neurobehavioral activity, Parkinson's disease 44 53 http://ppj.phypha.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-625-3&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Mahboobeh Aghagolzadeh Aghagolzadeh_m@yahoo.com 3200319475328460017332 3200319475328460017332 No Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran Akbar hajizadeh Moghaddam a.hajizadeh@umz.ac.ir 3200319475328460017333 3200319475328460017333 Yes Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran Bagher seyedalipour b.seyedalipour@umz.ac.ir 3200319475328460017334 3200319475328460017334 No Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran