Estudo dos efeitos comportamentais e cognitivos do extrato de Rosmarinus officinalis L.

Abstract

Healing, prevention and diseases treatments with medicinal plants are an ancient practice that perpetuates in modern. Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) is a Mediterranean native plant used for culinary purposes and it is indicated for topical use as a cicatrizant and as an antimicrobial for Staphylococcus, Monilia and Bacillus subtilis. Its oil has chemopreventive, antitumor effects, antioxidant activities, and it works on improving memory. This study aimed to analyze rosemary secretory structures and to evaluate the efficacy of leaf extract in the depression, anxiety, compulsion and memory treatments. It was realized freehand cuts of fresh rosemary leaves to microscopic analysis. For the extract, it was utilized 1 kg of dried rosemary leaves (milled) and alcohol (96%), evaporated by a r otary evaporator. eighty male mice of the "Swiss" lineage with about 45 days old were tested. After acclimatization, the animals were divided into eight groups of ten animals: filtered water (negative control), diazepam, imipramine, caffeine, piracetam, scopolamine and rosemary extract at concentrations of 200mg/kg and 400mg/kg. The compounds were administered orally through gavage during 30 days, 1 time per day, always at the same time. It was performed the tests: open field, elevated plus maze, hiding spheres, forced swimming, inhibitory avoidance "step down" and object recognition. After the tests, the animals were euthanized through unconsciousness by deepening the anesthetic plane in a vaporization chamber with isoflurane for 5 minutes, followed by cervical dislocation, according to the ethical aspects recommended for animal research. The statistical data were computed in software, expressed by the mean and standard deviations of the mean per group, the results obtained in the present study demonstrated that the chronic treatment with Rosmarinus officinalis L. at doses 200 mg/kg showed anti-compulsive effect, the extract at the concentration of 400 mg/kg demonstrated possible anxiolytic effects. The animals that received chronic treatment with the extract at the two concentrations tested also showed positive nootropic effects. Further studies are therefore recommended using other behavioral models as well as toxicity tests of these compounds so that later randomized clinical trials can be carried out and can safely benefit individuals.