Antidepressant and Anxiolytic Effects of Fermented Huauzontle, a Prehispanic Mexican Pseudocereal
Lourdes Santiago-López,
Arantxa Almada-Corral,
Hugo S. García,
Verónica Mata-Haro,
Aarón F. González-Córdova,
Belinda Vallejo-Cordoba,
Adrián Hernández-Mendoza
Affiliations
Lourdes Santiago-López
Laboratorio de Química y Biotecnología de Productos Lácteos, Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo A.C. (CIAD, A.C.), Carretera Gustavo Enrique Astiazarán Rosas, No. 46, Hermosillo 83304, Sonora, Mexico
Arantxa Almada-Corral
Laboratorio de Química y Biotecnología de Productos Lácteos, Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo A.C. (CIAD, A.C.), Carretera Gustavo Enrique Astiazarán Rosas, No. 46, Hermosillo 83304, Sonora, Mexico
Hugo S. García
Unidad de Investigación y Desarrollo de Alimentos, Instituto Tecnológico de Veracruz, M.A. de Quevedo 2779, Col. Formando Hogar, Veracruz 91897, Veracruz, Mexico
Verónica Mata-Haro
Laboratorio de Microbiología e Inmunología, Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo A.C. (CIAD, A.C.), Carretera Gustavo Enrique Astiazarán Rosas, No. 46, Col. La Victoria, Hermosillo 83304, Sonora, Mexico
Aarón F. González-Córdova
Laboratorio de Química y Biotecnología de Productos Lácteos, Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo A.C. (CIAD, A.C.), Carretera Gustavo Enrique Astiazarán Rosas, No. 46, Hermosillo 83304, Sonora, Mexico
Belinda Vallejo-Cordoba
Laboratorio de Química y Biotecnología de Productos Lácteos, Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo A.C. (CIAD, A.C.), Carretera Gustavo Enrique Astiazarán Rosas, No. 46, Hermosillo 83304, Sonora, Mexico
Adrián Hernández-Mendoza
Laboratorio de Química y Biotecnología de Productos Lácteos, Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo A.C. (CIAD, A.C.), Carretera Gustavo Enrique Astiazarán Rosas, No. 46, Hermosillo 83304, Sonora, Mexico
This study aimed to assess the potential antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like effects of huauzontle fermented by Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Lp22. The possible association between oxidative stress/inflammation biomarkers and unconditional behavioural tests was also evaluated. Red light-induced stress mice C57Bl/6 (n = 5 per group) received orally either fermented or unfermented huauzontle, diazepam or fluoxetine. A non-stressed group which received saline solution was also included. Then, anxiety-related and depression-related behaviour tests were performed; after that, blood and tissues samples were collected to determine oxidative stress/inflammation biomarkers. The mice receiving both fermented and unfermented huauzontle spent more time (94 s) in open arms in the elevated plus maze test p p < 0.05) and increased by more than 50% the exploration time for the open field, as well as the time spent in the illuminated zone (197 s) in the light/dark test. Furthermore, reduced immobility time in the tail suspension and forced swim tests (23.1 and 15.85, respectively), and anhedonia was no detected in the sucrose preference test. The oxidative stress index was lower in the liver of fermented huauzontle-treated mice, while enhanced levels of IL-10, MCP-1 and BDNF in plasma, and lipoxygenase (LOX) activity in the hippocampus were found. Finally, PCA revealed a positive correlation among LOX and BDNF and parameters determined in the anxiety tests, as between catalase activity and immobility time in the depression test. These findings indicate the novel potential therapeutic applications of fermented huauzontle on depression and anxiety-like behaviours possibly mediated by antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms.
