title: Behavioural and cognitive effects of oligofructose-enriched inulin in rats.
abstract: The behavioural and cognitive effects of oligofructose-enriched inulin at the doses of 5 and 10 % in the diet, orally ingested daily during 2 weeks, were investigated using a functional observational battery (FOB) and the light extinction test in male Wistar rats. Control rats received a standard diet and were tested in the same test situations. The behavioural effects were assessed 2 d before and 14 d after the beginning of the treatment period and the cognitive effects were investigated after the administration period by lever-pressing activity and learning discrimination using the light extinction test paradigm. In general, the study demonstrated that oligofructose-enriched inulin at 5 % in the diet, and particularly at 10 % in the diet, caused relaxing-like effects, stimulated and increased the general activity and interest of the rats to the test environment. In addition, both doses of oligofructose-enriched inulin showed significant effects on learning discrimination in male rats, in comparison with the control diet. These results suggest that oligofructose-enriched inulin, particularly at the dose of 10 %, improves cognitive performances in the light extinction test and the well-being of male rats using the FOB.
authors.affiliation: ETAP - Ethologie Appliquée, Technopôle de Nancy-Brabois, 13 rue du Bois de la Champelle, 54500 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France. etap@etap-lab.com
authors.forename: Michaël
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Messaoudi
authors.forename: Pascale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rozan
authors.forename: Amine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nejdi
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hidalgo
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Desor
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D003071:Cognition; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D007444:Inulin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D004043:Dietary Fiber; D009844:Oligosaccharides; C120489:oligofructose; D007444:Inulin