This comprehensive study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of dimethyl fumarate (DMF) and ethanolic extract of Echium amoenum in improving the pathological symptoms of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a widely used animal model for multiple sclerosis (MS). The EAE model was established in a group of 28 rats using ethidium bromide, and the animals were subsequently divided into four experimental groups: a healthy control group, an EAE-affected group, an Echium amoenum-treated group, and a dimethyl fumarate-treated group. Our findings showed a significant increase in glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), a marker indicating astrogliosis and neuronal injury, along with a significant increase in apoptotic activity in the central nervous system of EAE-affected rats. Importantly, treatment with DMF and Echium amoenum extract showed significant therapeutic effects. In particular, DMF showed strong neuroprotective capabilities, significantly reducing GFAP expression and reducing the rate of apoptosis. Echium amoenum extract also showed beneficial effects, although DMF seemed more prominent in these aspects. Furthermore, an important observation was the decreased expression of myelin basic protein (MBP) in the untreated EAE group, indicating demyelination, a hallmark feature of MS. In contrast, treatment with DMF and Echium amoenum extract resulted in a significant restoration of MBP levels, indicating a promising role in promoting myelin repair and integrity. Taken together, these results emphasize the therapeutic potential of dimethyl fumarate and Echium amoenum extract as agents capable of reducing neuroinflammation, reducing neuronal cell death and facilitating myelin repair in the context of MS pathology.
