Efeitos comportamentais e neuroquímicos do beta-cariofileno em modelos experimentais de ansiedade e depressão em camundongos

Abstract

Depression is considered a disorder of multifactorial etiology, since it has genetic, neurochemical and social aspects. Research on substances with therapeutic activity on the Central Nervous System (CNS) dates from the early nineteenth century and many of these researches currently use drugs of plant origin. Among these substances can be mentioned beta-caryophyllene (BCP), a sesquiterpene isolated from the essential oil of species such as rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) and cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum), which has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and neuroprotective activities in several models experiments. The present study aims to evaluate the effects of BCP on the CNS, using experimental models of depression and anxiety. Male Swiss adult mice (25-30g) were orally treated with BCP 75 or 150 mg/kg, fluvoxamine 50 mg/kg or vehicle for 8 days. Later, the behavior of the rodents was evaluated in the tests of forced swimming, tail suspension, open field and plus maze. At the end of the tests, the animals were euthanized and the cerebral areas of the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex and striatum were removed in order to evaluate the parameters of oxidative stress – concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA), nitrite and reduced glutathione (GSH). The statistical analysis of the data was performed by one-way ANOVA, followed by Newman-Keuls post hoc test and the significance criterion used was p <0.05. According to the results, BCP showed activity on the CNS, since treatment with this substance significantly reduced the animals immobility time, similar to fluvoxamine, in forced swimming and tail suspension. In addition, BCP had no effect on the locomotor activity of the mice in the open field and treatment with BCP at the dose of 75 mg/kg showed anxiolytic activity in the plus maze. BCP was able to attenuate oxidative stress by decreasing concentrations of MDA and nitrite and increasing GSH levels in the brain areas evaluated. These results suggest BCP's antidepressant and antioxidant activities, encouraging subsequent studies of its potential therapeutic properties in mood disorders.