Abstract
The Amazonian açai fruit (Euterpe oleracea) has shown promising anticonvulsant properties, comparable to those of diazepam (BDZ) in in vivo models submitted to pentylenetetrazole (PTZ). PTZ is a classic convulsant agent used in studies for the purpose of screening anticonvulsants and investigating the mechanisms of epilepsy. Herein, we aimed to determine, for the first time, the effect of dietary administration of lyophilized E. oleracea (LEO) on PTZ-induced seizures, using juvenile Colossoma macropomum fish (9.1 ± 1.5 g) as a model. A control diet (0.00% LEO) and two levels of LEO inclusion were established: 5.00% and 10.0% LEO (w/w). Fish were divided into five groups (n = 5): control (0.9% physiological solution; i.p.), PTZ (PTZ 150 mg kg−1; i.p.), PTZ LEO 5.00%, PTZ LEO 10.0%, and BDZ-PTZ (BDZ: diazepam 10 mg kg−1; i.p.). In addition to the electroencephalography (EEG), the lipid peroxidation (TBARS) was quantified in the brain, along with the characterization of behavioral responses. Fish receiving PTZ showed intense action potential bursts (APB), which overlapped with a hyperactive behavior. In PTZ LEO 5.00% and 10.0% groups, convulsive behavior was significantly reduced compared to the PTZ group. Fish fed 5.00% or 10.0% LEO and exposed to PTZ showed less excitability and lower mean amplitude in tracings. The inclusion of 10.0% LEO in the diet prevented the increase in mean amplitude of the EEG waves by 80%, without significant differences to the quantified mean amplitude of the BDZ-PTZ group. TBARS concentration was reduced by 60% in the brain of fish fed 10.0% LEO-enriched diets relative to the PTZ-administered group. The results of this study demonstrated the anticonvulsant and protective roles of LEO to the brain, and the dietary inclusion of LEO seems to be promising for the formulation of functional diets. Results of this study may boost the interest on the anti-seizurogenic properties of Euterpe oleracea, including the development of new approaches for the prevention of seizures in humans and animals with low epileptic threshold.
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The data in this study are available upon reasonable request from the authors.
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Acknowledgements
da Silva T.V.N. acknowledges the scholarship provided by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, Brasil (CAPES). Authors are grateful to José M. da Silva and Cecília A. F. Manoel for their assistance and technical support. We are thankful to Laboratório de Farmacologia e Toxicologia de Produtos Naturais, LFTPN ICB/UFPA, Belém and Laboratório de Aquacultura de Espécies Tropicais, LAET/IFPA Castanhal, and their staffs for the support provided. Monserrat J.M. (# 308539/2016-8) and Sampaio L.A. (# 307445/2016-0) are research fellows of the Brazilian CNPq.
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T.V.N.S., J.M.M., L.A.L.B., and M.H. designed the study, with intellectual contribution from all authors. M.F.T. and L.A.S. contributed with the experimental procedures and technical support. L.A.L.B., M.H., J.M.M., and T.V.N.S. carried out the statistical analyses. T.V.N.S., J.M.M., and L.A.L.B. drafted the manuscript and all authors contributed equally to the writing of the final version.
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This study meets the ethical standards as advised by the “Conselho Nacional de Controle de Experimentação Animal,” CONCEA of Brazil, and complies with the Brazilian Guidelines for the Production, Maintenance or Use of Animals in Teaching or Scientific Research Activities (CONCEA, 2016). This study was approved by the Ethics Committee on Experimental Animals of the Federal University of Pará (UFPA) (CEUA nº 9966130618/2018).
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Highlights
• This is the first study to report the anti-seizurogenic properties of lyophilized açai berry (Euterpe oleracea) to live fish
• Dietary lyophilized E. oleracea lessened pentylenetetrazole-induced neuronal hyperexcitability in Colossoma macropomum juveniles
• Dietary E. oleracea reduced seizure-related lipid peroxidation in the fish brain
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da Silva, T.V.N., Torres, M.F., Sampaio, L.A. et al. Dietary Euterpe oleracea Mart. attenuates seizures and damage to lipids in the brain of Colossoma macropomum. Fish Physiol Biochem 47, 1851–1864 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-021-01010-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-021-01010-y