title: Antidepressant-like effects of aqueous extract from Cecropia pachystachya leaves in a mouse model of chronic unpredictable stress.
abstract: Chronic stressful stimuli influence disease susceptibility to depression, cardiovascular, metabolic and neurodegenerative disorders. The present work investigated antidepressant and antioxidant properties of the aqueous extract from Cecropia pachystachya in a mouse model of chronic unpredictable stress (CUS). Our results indicated that acute administration of the aqueous extract (AE) from C. pachystachya (200 and 400mg/kg, p.o.) produced an antidepressant-like effect in the forced swimming test (FST). The chronic treatment with C. pachystachya extract (200mg/kg, p.o., for 14 days) prevented the depressant-like effect but not the anxiogenic effect induced by CUS. In addition to the behavioral modifications, the 14 days of CUS increased lipid peroxidation in the hippocampus (HP) and prefrontal cortex (PFC), decreased total thiol content and glutathione peroxidase activity in the HP. C. pachystachya AE administration during CUS protocol was able to prevent the oxidative damage induced by stress. However, no changes were observed in the activity of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase and catalase in the above cited brain areas after the stress protocol and treatment. Our results suggest that C. pachystachya prevented both depressive behavior and oxidative damage induced by CUS, supporting its neuroprotective potential against behavioral and biochemical dysfunctions induced by chronic stress.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde e Comportamento, Universidade Católica de Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gazal
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
authors.forename: Caroline Flach
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Ortmann
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fernanda Amelia
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciência da Saúde, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, Criciúma, SC, Brazil.
authors.forename: Emilio Luiz
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Streck
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciência da Saúde, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, Criciúma, SC, Brazil.
authors.forename: João
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Quevedo
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
authors.forename: Angela Machado
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: de Campos
authors.affiliation: Centro de Ciências Químicas, Farmacêuticas e de Alimentos, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Francieli M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Stefanello
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde e Comportamento, Universidade Católica de Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: Manuella P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Kaster
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde e Comportamento, Universidade Católica de Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Electronic address: ghisleni.g@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ghisleni
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
authors.forename: Flávio Henrique
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Reginatto
authors.affiliation: Centro de Ciências Químicas, Farmacêuticas e de Alimentos, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Claiton L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Lencina
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000517:prevention & control; D035702:Cecropia Plant; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003863:Depression / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: Antidepressant activity; Antioxidant; Cecropia pachystachya