Behavioral effects of Chaenomeles maulei fruit juice in rats with impaired circadian rhythm.

INTRODUCTION: Impaired circadian rhythm (ICR) is a commonly used model of mild stress. The fruit juice of Chaenomeles japonica var. maulei (Mast.) Lavall'e (CMFJ) is rich in polyphenols known for their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective properties. AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of CMFJ on the behavior of rats subjected to ICR. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male Wistar rats were divided into five groups of 10 animals each: control group (without ICR), the ICR, ICR+CMFJ2.5, ICR+CMFJ5, and ICR+CMFJ10 groups. ICR was induced by exposing rats to 14 days of constant light. Over these days, oral treatment was administered with distilled water (the control and ICR groups) and CMFJ at doses 2.5, 5, and 10 ml/kg for the respective groups. Then we performed the open field test, the social interaction test (SIT), and the forced swim test (FST) to assess rats' locomotion, anxiety, and the depressive-like behavior, respectively. RESULTS: The ICR animals increased their horizontal and vertical locomotion when compared to the controls. The ICR rats did not change significantly the social interaction time in the SIT test and immobility time in the FST. The horizontal and vertical activity of the ICR+CMFJ10 rats was reduced in comparison with ICR animals. Compared to ICR rats, the animals treated with CMFJ at doses of 2.5 and 10 ml/kg demonstrated an improved social interaction and decreased immobility time in the FST. CONCLUSIONS: ]CMFJ prevented the development of ICR-induced hyperactivity and showed an anxiolytic-like and antidepressant-like effect, probably due to its high polyphenol content.

Behavioral effects of Aronia melanocarpa fruit juice in a rat model of ovariectomy-induced estrogen deficit.

INTRODUCTION: The ovariectomized rat is a model used to mimic the changes in female organism during menopause. Aroniamelanocarpa fruit juice (AMFJ) is extremely rich in phenolic substances (procyanidins, flavonoids and phenolic acids).

Effects of ovariectomy-induced estrogen deficit on rat behaviour, lipid metabolism, inflammation, bone mineral density, and turnover.

AIM: The objective of the present study was to make a complex evaluation of behaviour, lipid metabolism, inflammation, and bone turnover in an ovariectomized rat model used to simulate postmenopausal clinical findings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Female Wistar rats were divided into 2 groups of 16 animals each: sham operated (SO) animals and ovariectomized (OVX) animals. Three months after the operation, a battery of behavioural tests was performed including an open field test (OFT), elevated pus-maze test (EPM), the social interaction test (SIT), the forced swim test (FST), and a hot plate test (HPT). At termination of experiment, weight gain and fat deposits (total and retroperitoneal) were measured. Serum concentrations of blood lipids were determined. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) serum concentrations were used for evaluation of the inflammation and bone turnover, respectively. Femur bone mineral density (BMD) was evaluated using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. RESULTS: OVX rats did not demonstrate any significant behavioural changes in OFT and EPM tests but showed a decreased interaction time in SIT and an increased immobility time in FST test which indicated anxiety and depression. The OVX rats had a significantly lower pain sensitivity threshold. They had greater weight gain, increased total and retroperitoneal fat deposits, as well as elevated total fat/body weight and retroperitoneal fat/body weight ratios. Blood cholesterol, ALP and TNF-alpha of the OVX group were also significantly higher. Femur BMD of OVX rats was slightly but not significantly reduced. CONCLUSIONS: Estrogen deficiency in OVX rats caused depression, anxiety, hyperalgesia, obesity, dyslipidemia, and inflammation before the reduction in bone mineral density was prominent.

Protective effects of Aronia melanocarpa juices either alone or combined with extracts from Rosa canina or Alchemilla vulgaris in a rat model of indomethacin-induced gastric ulcers.

The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of four Aronia melanocarpa-based juices in a rat model of indomethacin-induced gastric ulceration. THE JUICES WERE: AM1 and AM2 (produced from aronia fruits at 20 °C and 60 °C, respectively), AMRC (a mixture of AM2 with Rosa canina extract) and AMAV (aronia juice with Alchemilla vulgaris). Male Wistar rats were used. Each of the juices (10 ml/kg) was administered for 10 days. Indomethacin (30 mg/kg) was injected subcutaneously and after 4 h, the effects were estimated. Indomethacin caused heavy destructions of the gastric mucosa, increased the expression of Bax and decreased the expression of Bcl-2, induced a certain increase in lipid peroxidation and a slight decrease in gastric PGE2 content. The pretreatment with the juices reduced the severity of indomethacin-induced gastric lesions and antagonized the effects of indomethacin on apoptosis and lipid peroxidation. The highest was the protective effect of AMAV, the juice with the highest polyphenolic content. The protective effect of Aronia melanocarpa-based juices against indomethacin-induced gastric lesions could be attributed to their polyphenolic contents. The mechanism involved to the highest extent in the protective effect of the juices was the inhibition of apoptosis.

Effects of Chaenomeles maulei Fruit Juice on Reserpine-induced Behavioral Changes in Rats.

BACKGROUND: The fruit juice from. AIM: The aim of the current study was to investigate the effects of. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The experimental design included a total of 50 animals, divided in the following groups: control, R, R+CMFJ2.5, R+CMFJ5, and R+CMFJ10. All groups except the control received a single intraperitoneal injection of reserpine while the Control group was injected with the vehicle. CMFJ was applied through an orogastric cannula at 0, 19, and 23 hours after reserpine injection at doses of 2.5 ml/kg, 5 ml/kg, and 10 ml/kg to groups R+CMFJ2.5, R+CMFJ5, and R+CMFJ10, respectively. The groups control and R received distilled water (10 ml/kg) at the same time points. The open field test (OFT) and the forced swim test (FST) were carried out. In the OFT, crossings and rearings were recorded as a measure of locomotor activity. In the FST, the immobility time served as a measure of depressive-like behavior. RESULTS: In the OFT, the number of crossings of rats were significantly reduced (p<0.05) by reserpine. CMFJ antagonized the effects of reserpine on rat locomotor activity. In the FST, reserpine caused an insignificant reduction of the immobility time while CMFJ reversed this effect probably by increasing the locomotor activity. CONCLUSION: CMFJ reversed reserpine-induced hypokinesia in rats. This effect of CMFJ might be attributed to the polyphenols found in very high concentrations in the juice.

Memory effects of Aronia melanocarpa fruit juice in a passive avoidance test in rats.

AIM: To study the effect of Aronia melanocarpa fruit juice on memory in male Wistar rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The juice was administered orally for 7, 14, 21 and 30 days at doses of 2.5 ml/kg, 5 ml/kg and 10 ml/kg. Memory was assessed in the one-way passive avoidance task (step through) which consisted of one training session and two retention tests (3 hours and 24 hours after training). The variables measured were the latency time to step into the dark compartment of the apparatus and the learning criterion (remaining in the illuminated compartment for at least 180 sec). RESULTS: Oral administration of Aronia melanocarpa fruit juice for 7 and 14 days resulted in a dose-dependent tendency to increase the latency time and the learning criterion compared to saline-treated controls but the effect failed to reach statistical significance. After 21 days of treatment, the juice dose-dependently prolonged the latency time at the retention tests, the effect being significant at doses of 5 ml/kg and 10 ml/kg. Applied for 30 days, the juice in all the tested doses increased significantly the latency time at the retention tests and the dose of 10 ml/kg significantly increased the percentage of rats reaching the learning criterion. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that Aronia melanocarpa fruit juice could improve memory in rats. The effect is probably due to the polyphenolic ingredients of the juice which have been shown to be involved in learning and memory processes.