Efeito do extrato de Guatteria punctata (Aubl.) R.A.Howard sobre os parâmetros cognitivos e comportamentais em camundongos

Abstract

Medicinal plants and herbal medicines consist of a type of alternative treatment intensively used nowadays. They can be used individually or in combination with other kind of medicines. The objective of this final paper was to verify the effect of Guatteria punctata (Aubl.) R.A.Howard extract on the behavior of mice that underwent anxiety, depression and memory classic experimental tests. The survey was carried out with approval by the Ethics and Research Committee of the Federal University of Mato Grosso, No. 23108.722758 / 2017-56. To perform the survey, were used 77 animals, divided into 7 groups that were previously established to receive the chronic treatment with Guatteria punctata extracts, through gavage. The animals underwent a acclimatization process for 15 days, being randomly separated into groups, so-called: G1: Naive; G2: Negative control - mineral water G3: Positive control for depression (30 mg/kg Imipramine); G4: Positive control for anxiety (2 mg/kg Diazepam); G5: Positive control for memory (10 mg/kg Caffeine); G6: (200mg/kg) methanolic extract from the leaves of Guatteria punctata and G7: (400 mg/kg) methanolic extract from the leaves of Guatteria punctata. After acclimation, the treatment was performed for 30 days at a frequency of once a day and were orally administered 100 μL of Guatteria punctata extract and 100 μL of the drugs in their respective peculiar groups as positive control and negative control for oral. After, the animals were submitted to specific behavioral tests: Open Field Test to evaluate the locomotor activity of the mice, Forced Swimming Test to analyze the depression, Elevated Plus-Maze Test to analyze anxiety, Marble Burying Test to analyze the compulsive behavior and the Step Down Inhibitory Avoidance test to measure effects on memory. After the tests, the animals were euthanized by deepening the anesthesia and cervical dislocation. The results show that the dose of 400 mg G. punctata extract had a longer stay in the open arm, in other words, presented an anxiolytic behavior when compared to the negative control group in the Elevated Plus-Maze Test. It was concluded that the methanolic extract from the leaves of Guatteria punctata presented an anxiolytic effect, but, nevertheless, did not demonstrate effects on the depressive behavior, compulsive and in memory of mice.