No abstract

Objetivou-se avaliar os efeitos do uso de diferentes tipos de adoçantes sobre o peso corporal, consumo alimentar e perfil bioquímico de ratos. Material e Métodos: Foram estudados 42 ratos Wistar, distribuídos em Grupos: – Controle (C); Estévia (ES); Sucralose (SU); Aspartame (AS); Ciclamato/Sacarina (CS); Extrato de Agave (EA). Durante 28 dias foram registrados: consumo alimentar, hídrico, peso corporal, excreção urinária e fecal. O sangue foi utilizado para determinar o perfil bioquímico. Resultados: O Grupo CS apresentou menor média de consumo alimentar em relação ao ES. Os Grupos CS e EA apresentaram menores concentrações de triglicerídeos quando comparados a C e ES. Todos os Grupos, exceto ES apresentaram menores concentrações de colesterol total comparados ao Grupo C. Todos apresentaram concentrações de HDL–colesterol menores em relação ao C. Os Grupos AS, CS e EA exibiram menores concentrações de creatinina comparado ao C e SU. Conclusão: ES proporcionou maior consumo alimentar e concentrações de creatinina, e concentrações reduzidas de HDL-c, entretanto, apresentou menor sobrecarga hepática em relação ao adoçante extrato de agave.

Aim. The use of medicinal plants in the treatment of mental illnesses is a reality that accompanies the history of civilizations, and the Piper genus exhibits many species with pharmacologically proven central effects. Then, this study evaluated the neuropharmacological effects of the hydroalcoholic extract from Piper cernuum (HEPC) leaves to validate its uses in folk medicine. Materials and Methods. Primarily Swiss mice (female, 25–30 g) were pretreated with HEPC (50–150 mg/kg, p.o.), vehicle, or the positive control, and submitted to open-field test (OFT), inhibitory avoidance test (IAT), tail suspension test (TST), and forced swim test (FST). Also, mice were exposed to pentylenetetrazol- and strychnine-induced seizure assay, pentobarbital-induced hypnosis test, and elevated plus-maze (EPM). The GABA levels and MAO-A activity were measured in the animal’s brain after 15 days of HEPC administration (150 mg/kg, p.o.). Results. Mice pretreated with HEPC (100 and 150 mg/kg) and exposed to pentobarbital presented decreased sleep latency and increased sleep duration (HEPC 150 mg/kg). In EPM, the HEPC (150 mg/kg) increased the frequency of entry and the time of exploration of mice in the open arms. The antidepressant-like properties of HEPC were demonstrated by the decrease in the mice’s immobility time when tested in FST and TST. The extract did not show anticonvulsant activity, in addition to not improving the memory parameters of animals (IAT) or interfering with their locomotor activity (OFT). Besides, HEPC administration decreased the MAO-A activity and increased the GABA levels in the animal’s brain. Conclusion. HEPC induces sedative-hypnotic, anxiolytic-, and antidepressant-like effects. These neuropharmacological effects of HEPC could be, at least in part, related to the modulation of the GABAergic system and/or MAO-A activity.