Antioxidant Capacity and Behavioral Relevance of a Polyphenolic Extract of Chrysanthellum americanum in a Rat Model of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2019 Aug 14:2019:3492767. doi: 10.1155/2019/3492767. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

Chrysanthellum americanum L. (Vatke) is a medicinal plant from the Compositae family used in west-African traditional medicine, known for its flavonoid and saponin richness and for its strong antioxidant potential. In the present study, we assessed the effects of Chrysanthellum americanum polyphenolic extract in the psychological stress-induced rat model of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a chronic functional digestive tract disorder marked by immune and inflammatory-related disturbances of central nervous and peripheral intestinal systems, which is often associated with mood disorders including depression and anxiety. Consequently, memory impairment, anxiety and depression behavioral indicators, and cerebral oxidative stress biomarker dynamics were evaluated in a multifactorial heterotypic stress-exposed IBS rats after 6-day gavage with polyphenolic C. americanum extract (100 mg/kg body weight). Y-maze, elevated plus maze, and forced swimming tests were used for assessing behavioral responses. Administration of the extract exhibited significant anxiolytic and antidepressant-like effects coupled with significantly increased temporal lobe antioxidant enzyme specific activity (superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase) and decreased malondialdehyde levels, a well-known lipid peroxidation marker. Furthermore, linear regression statistical analyses showed significant correlations between the oxidative stress parameters and behavioral tests. In conclusion, our results suggest that the administration of Chrysanthellum americanum polyphenolic extract could ameliorate mood and cognitive disturbances related to stress-induced in an IBS rat model. This could be also related to cerebral oxidative stress status attenuation.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antioxidants
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Humans
  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome / drug therapy*
  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome / pathology
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology
  • Plant Extracts / therapeutic use*
  • Plants, Medicinal / chemistry*
  • Polyphenols / chemistry*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar

Substances

  • Antioxidants
  • Plant Extracts
  • Polyphenols