The dried fruits of Luffa operculata (buchinha-do-norte) are popularly used to minimize symptoms of sinusitis, but turns out to be abortifacient.
Previous studies have shown microscopic and macroscopic alteration in the testis of
adult male rats [1]. The objectives of the present study were to verify the behavioral changes in female
rats that received 1mg/kg of the aqueous extract of the dried fruits from buchinha-do-norte (BNE), that was administered via gavage during gestation for five consecutive days,
between the gestational days GD17 to GD 21. The behavioral parameters were evaluated
at the 50th day after delivery (PND50) in open field (OF) and light-dark box (LDB)
apparatuses. Females were divided into control and experimental groups (CG, EG). All
the locomotion, exploratory and anxiety parameters observed in the OF did not show
significant differences between EG and CG (p>0.05). EG showed an anxiety-like behavior
in relation to CG, due to the EG remained more time in the dark side than that in
the light side of the box (p<0.05). EG showed increase in the number of attempts to
enter the light side (p <0.05) and an increase in locomotion in the dark side (p <0.05).
Rats from the EG explored more in the dark side and less in the light side of the
box (p<0.05). They also remained longer in the dark side of the box and performed
less grooming compared to the CG (p <0.05). Data found in the present study suggests
a possible anxiogenic effect found after administration of BNE.
