Alterações comportamentais, neuroquímicas e glicolipídicas em ratos tratados com Hoodia gordonii, um supressor natural do apetite

Abstract

Hoodia gordonii is a plant of the family apocinaceae. Originally from southeastern Africa, where it has historically been used to suppress appetite during long hunting trips, being used in several countries in order to lose weight. In Brazil was withdrawn from the market due to lack of studies proving its efficacy and safety for use. The aim of this study was to evaluate the behavioral changes and neurochemical glicolipídicas in rats treated with Hoodia gordonii. For this study H. gordonii was administered orally at doses of 25 and 50 mg/kg for eight consecutive days in male Wistar rats (160-200g), D-amphetamine 2 mg/kg was intraperitoneally administered acutely and used as a positive standard. The tests took place 60 minutes after the last day of treatment with the Hoodia and 30 minutes after treatment with D-amphetamine. We evaluated the weight change of the animals during treatment, as well as the consumption of water and food. For behavioral tests were performed tests elevated plus-maze, open field and hole board. For neurochemical studies was done HPLC with electrochemical detection. For testing was done glycolipid glucose, HDL, LDL and TG, total cholesterol, ALT and AST. The results showed that H. gordonii is capable of reducing body mass gain and reduce the consumption of food and water. The results of behavioral tests showed that it is able to reduce the parameters observed in the plus-maze test and hole board showing no significant change in the open field. The results of experiments showed an increase in the neurochemical content of noradrenaline and dopamine in the striatum of rats electrochemically detected by HPLC. In biochemical tests it was seen that it has the ability to lower blood glucose levels as well as the concentration of triglycerides and total cholesterol in serum from mice, showing no significant change in ALT and AST. It was concluded that H. gordonii is able to reduce food intake, and this effect may be somehow linked to the dopaminergic and noradrenergic neurotransmission, having also anxiogenic activity evidenced by behavioral studies.