Potential behavioral and pro-oxidant effects of Petiveria alliacea L. extract in adult rats.
BACKGROUND
Petiveria alliacea (Phytolaccaceae) is a perennial shrub indigenous to the Amazon Rainforest and tropical areas of Central and South America, the Caribbean, and sub-Saharan Africa. In folk medicine, Petiveria alliacea has a broad range of therapeutic properties; however, it is also associated with toxic effects.


OBJECTIVE
The present study evaluated the putative effects of Petiveria alliacea on the central nervous system, including locomotor activity, anxiety, depression-like behavior, and memory, and oxidative stress.


METHODS
Two-month-old male and female Wistar rats (n=7-10 rats/group) were administered with 900 mg/kg of hydroalcoholic extracts of Petiveria alliacea L. The behavioral assays included open-field, forced swimming, and elevated T-maze tests. The oxidative stress levels were measured in rat blood samples after behavioral assays and methemoglobin levels were measured in vitro.


RESULTS
Consistent with previous reports, Petiveria alliacea increased locomotor activity. It also exerted previously unreported anxiolytic and antidepressant effects in behavioral tests. In the oxidative stress assays, the Petiveria alliacea extract decreased Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity levels and increased methemoglobin levels, which was related to the toxic effects.


CONCLUSIONS
The Petiveria alliacea extract exerted motor stimulatory and anxiolytic effects in the OF test, antidepressant effects in the FS test, and elicited memory improvement in ETM. Furthermore, the Petiveria alliacea extract also exerted pro-oxidant effects in vitro and in vivo, inhibiting the antioxidant status and increasing MetHb levels in human plasma, respectively.
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Instituto de Ciências da Saúde, Rua Augusto Corrêa, N°01, 66075-900 Belém, Pará, Brazil.
Thaís Montenegro
TM
de Andrade
Ademar Soares
AS
de Melo
Rui Guilherme Cardoso
RG
Dias
Everton Luís Pompeu
EL
Varela
Fábio Rodrigues
FR
de Oliveira
José Luís Fernandes
JL
Vieira
Marcieni Ataíde
MA
de Andrade
Ana Cristina
AC
Baetas
Marta Chagas
MC
Monteiro
Cristiane do Socorro Ferraz
Cdo S
Maia
D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D008706:Methemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D051379:Mice; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D009566:Nitrates / Q000097:blood; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D029602:Phytolaccaceae; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism
D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D009566:Nitrates; D010936:Plant Extracts; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D008706:Methemoglobin