This study investigated the effects of prior lycopene supplementation on behaviour and haematology of Wistar rats subjected to psychological stress. Four groups of Wistar rats, each comprising seven animals were investigated: unstressed (U-Control), unstressed + lycopene (U+Lyco), stressed (SControl) and stressed + lycopene (S+Lyco). Olive oil was given by oral gavage to each rat in the groups, either singly or mixed with 10 mg/kg lycopene daily for two weeks. S-Control and S+Lyco groups were subjected to psychological stress followed by behavioural assessment using excitability score test. Blood samples were collected after sacrificing the animals and then analyzed. Psychological stress increased (P < 0.05) erythrocyte malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration in Wistar rats. Lycopene significantly increased excitability scores and total blood plasma proteins, and decreased (P > 0.05) erythrocyte MDA concentration. In conclusion, antioxidant properties of lycopene may be attenuating the effects of psychological stress on excitability score and erythrocytes of Wistar rats.
Modifications of neurobehavioral activities related to single episodes of consumption of different doses of bee honey were examined in rats under conditions of the hole-board (HB) test (to evaluate the level of anxiety) and open-field (OF) test (where the intensities of locomotion, rearing, and grooming were measured). Animals of all subgroups had free access to normal saline, while rats of the three experimental subgroups consumed bee honey in the doses of 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 g per 1 kg body mass (in the form of 10, 20, and 40% solutions, respectively). Among the doses tested, only higher ones induced considerable changes in the behavioral indices. The highest dose (2.0 g/kg) provided a more than twofold increase in the number of examined holes in the HB test; in the OF test, it also increased the numbers of crossed squares, rearings and grooming episodes by 30, 37, and 164%, respectively. Thus, our experiments demonstrated rather significant ability of the natural product tested to relieve anxiety and intensify motor, research/orientational, and grooming aspects of behavior even upon single acts of consumption. Possible neurophysiological mechanisms underlying the behavioral modifications observed are discussed.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.