Behavioral and Neurochemical Effects of Extra Virgin Olive Oil Total Phenolic Content and <i>Sideritis</i> Extract in Female Mice
Nikolaos Kokras,
Eleni Poulogiannopoulou,
Marinos G. Sotiropoulos,
Rafaella Paravatou,
Eleni Goudani,
Maria Dimitriadou,
Electra Papakonstantinou,
George Doxastakis,
Despina N. Perrea,
George Hloupis,
Apostolis Angelis,
Aikaterini Argyropoulou,
Anthony Tsarbopoulos,
Alexios-Leandros Skaltsounis,
Christina Dalla
Affiliations
Nikolaos Kokras
Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Mikras Asias 75, Goudi, 11527 Athens, Greece
Eleni Poulogiannopoulou
Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Mikras Asias 75, Goudi, 11527 Athens, Greece
Marinos G. Sotiropoulos
Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Mikras Asias 75, Goudi, 11527 Athens, Greece
Rafaella Paravatou
Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Mikras Asias 75, Goudi, 11527 Athens, Greece
Eleni Goudani
Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Mikras Asias 75, Goudi, 11527 Athens, Greece
Maria Dimitriadou
Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Mikras Asias 75, Goudi, 11527 Athens, Greece
Electra Papakonstantinou
Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Mikras Asias 75, Goudi, 11527 Athens, Greece
George Doxastakis
Electronic Devices and Materials Laboratory, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, School of Engineering, University of West Attica, Agiou Spiridonos 28, Egaleo, 12243 Athens, Greece
Despina N. Perrea
Laboratory of Experimental Surgery and Surgical Research N.S. Christeas, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Mikras Asias 75, Goudi, 11521 Athens, Greece
George Hloupis
Electronic Devices and Materials Laboratory, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, School of Engineering, University of West Attica, Agiou Spiridonos 28, Egaleo, 12243 Athens, Greece
Apostolis Angelis
Department of Pharmacognosy and Natural Products Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece
Aikaterini Argyropoulou
Department of Pharmacognosy and Natural Products Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece
Anthony Tsarbopoulos
Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Mikras Asias 75, Goudi, 11527 Athens, Greece
Alexios-Leandros Skaltsounis
Department of Pharmacognosy and Natural Products Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece
Christina Dalla
Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Mikras Asias 75, Goudi, 11527 Athens, Greece
The aim of this study was to determine the cognitive and behavioral effects of extra virgin olive oil total phenolic content (TPC) and Sideritis (SID) extracts in female mice, and identify the associated neurochemical changes in the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex. All animals received intraperitoneal low or high doses of TPC, SID or vehicle treatment for 7 days and were subjected to the Open Field (OF), Novel Object Recognition (NOR) and Tail Suspension Test (TST). The prefrontal cortex and hippocampus were dissected for analysis of neurotransmitters and aminoacids with high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection (HPLC-ED). Both TPC doses enhanced vertical activity and center entries in the OF, which could indicate an anxiolytic-like effect. In addition, TPC enhanced non-spatial working memory and, in high doses, exerted antidepressant effects. On the other hand, high SID doses remarkably decreased the animals’ overall activity. Locomotor and exploratory activities were closely associated with cortical increases in serotonin turnover induced by both treatments. Cognitive performance was linked to glutamate level changes. Furthermore, TPC reduced cortical taurine levels, while SID reduced cortical aspartate levels. TPC seems to have promising cognitive, anxiolytic and antidepressant effects, whereas SID has sedative effects in high doses. Both extracts act in the brain, but their specific actions and properties merit further exploration.
