ABSTRACT
Considering the role of cholinergic system in anxiety behaviors and the importance of nutrition during pregnancy and lactation in the neural system activity of offspring the aim of this study is to investigate the effect of lecithin during pregnancy and lactation on anxiety behaviors and locomotor activity of male and female rat offspring. Female rats [average weight 168g] were gavaged during pregnancy and lactation [until day 21] with different amounts of lecithin or with vehicle as follows control 1 [no medication] control 2 [vehicle receivers] and two experimental groups receiving 120 and 240 mg/kg lecithin daily. After gender segregation at 30 days of birth, offspring anxiety was assessed by elevated plus maze test. The number of rats in each group was 6 for both sexes. No significant differences were observed in the anxiety indexes and locomotor activity of offsprings in every genus, compared to the vehicle group. Males receiving lecithin 120 and 240 mg/kg, showed a significant increases in percentage of time spent in the open arm in compared to females [P<0.05 and P<0.01]. Significant difference was observed in locomotor activity between males and females receiving lecithin 240mg /kg [P<0.001]. Although lecithin consumption during pregnancy and laction does not affect the locomotor activity and anxiety behavior of offspring gender can cause varing effects in these animals