"Telfairia occidentalis leaf extract mitigated Monosodium glutamate-induced behavioural and histological alterations in rat hippocampus"

Abstract

Background: Monosodium glutamate c (MSG) toxicity in rodents reportedly causes damage to the brain via oxidative stress. Telfairia occidentalis ethanolic extract (TOE) may mitigate this damage by virtue of its known antioxidant property. This study investigated the possible protective role of TOE: against MSG-induced alterations in rat brain microanatomy. Materials and methods: Forty two adult male rats (130-150 g) were randomized into six groups as follows: Group 1: Control, food and water; Group 2: TOE (400 mg/kg body wt.); Group 3: VIT E (500 nig/kg body wt.): Group 4: MSG (4 g/kg body wt.); Group 5: MSG (4 g/kg) + VIT E (500 mg/kg) and Group 6: MSG (4 g/kg) + TOE (400 mg/kg). MSG was given to induce neurotoxicity in rats one hour before treatment with TOE or VIT E. AN treatment was given by gastric gavage for 14 days. Behavioral tests were conducted on day 15 and the rats were subsequently euthanized with i.p. Ketamine hydrochloride. The harvested brain tissues were fixed in neutral buffered formalin and hippocampal biopsies processed for light microscopy using hematoxylin and cosin slain. Granule and pyramidal neurons of hippocampus were assessed quantitatively. Results: Monosodium glutamate significantly reduced the frequency of some behavioral tests while increasing others relative to control group. MSG induced degeneration of some granule and pyramidal neurons of the hippocampus and also significantly (p<0.05) reduced the neuronal count of both neuron types. Both MSG + VIT E and MSG + TOE co-treatments reversed the histologic alteration and significantly elevated neuronal density when compared with MSG group. Conclusion: The ethanolic extract of Telfairia occidentalis demonstrated protective effects against MSG-induced histological alterations in rat hippocampus.