PURPOSE: The present study investigated the effects of Aronia melanocarpa fruit juice (AMFJ) on behavior and biochemical indices of liver toxicity and oxidative stress in female Wistar rats subchronically treated with ethanol.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: Ethanol was applied for 14 days at a daily dose of 8 g/kg divided in two equaloral gavages. AMFJ was applied as a pretreatment 1 hour before each ethanol administration at doses of 2,5 ml/kg, 5 ml/kg and 10 ml/kg. Effects on behavior were investigated using the open field test (OFT) for locomotor activity, elevated plus maze test (EPM) for anxiety and forced swim test (FST) for depression. The biochemical markers were: liver enzymes for liver toxicity and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) for oxidative stress.
RESULTS: Ethanol induced a significant reduction in locomotor activity in the OFT and EPM. The FST showed that ethanol induced a depressive-like behavior. These effects were not accompanied by liver toxicity. AMFJ did not significantly affect the reduced by ethanol central nervous excitability demonstrated in the OFT and EPM. It showed an anti-depressive effect as evidenced by the reduction of immobility time in the FST. This effect is not likely to be due to the pronounced antioxidant activity of AMFJ as ethanol did not induce oxidative stress estimated by the TBARS.
CONCLUSION: In this model of ethanol-induced changes in rat behavior, AMFJ showed an anti-depressant like effect which might be due to the polyphenolic ingredients of the juice.
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