Oral Supplementation of Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae Rhamnoides L. Spp. Turkestanica) Fruit Extract Modifies Haloperidol Induced Behavioral Deficits and Increases Brain Serotonin Metabolism
FARHAT BATOOL1*, ASAD HUSSAIN SHAH2, SYED DILNAWAZ AHMED3 AND DARAKHSHAN JABEEN HALEEM1
1. Neurochemistry and Biochemical Neuropharmacology Research Laboratory,
Department of Biochemistry, University of Karachi, Karachi-75270. Pakistan
2. School of Life Sciences, John Maynard-Smith Building, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QG, UK
3. Department of Plant Breeding and Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture,
University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Rawalakot, Azad Kashmir Pakistan
(Received: November 18, 2008 ; Accepted: June 6, 2009)
ABSTRACT
Pulp and oils (fruit extract) from Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L. spp. Turkestanica) (HRL) seeds and berries have been traditionally used in the treatment of different clinical and psychotic disorders and have significant implication in contemporary medicinal therapy. Schizophrenia is a chronic severe mental illness that affects approximately 1% of the population. Although the first generation of antipsychotic drugs such as chlorpromazine and haloperidol are widely prescribed for the treatment of schizophrenia, their beneficial effects are accompanied by extrapyramidal side effects (EPS). The present study was designed to investigate the effects of oral supplementation of HRL fruit extract (HRL-FE) on behavioral deficits and changes in brain serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) metabolism in rats administered with haloperidol repeatedly (two times a day at 09:00-09:30 A.M. and 05:00-05:30 P.M. at dose of 3.0 mg/kg body weight for two weeks. Results revealed that after two weeks of oral administration of HRL-FE (4.0 mg/kg body weight), rats exhibited significant (p<0.01) increases in locomotor activity in home cages and exploratory activity in open field arena. Repeated haloperidol treatment significantly (p<0.01) decreased brain tryptophan (TRP) and 5-HT and these decreases were reversed by 4.0 mg/kg body weight HRL-FE. These data suggest that HRL-FE plays a modifying role against the haloperidol induced behavioral deficits and could further extend as a nutritive therapy to conventional antipsychotic treatment in schizophrenia.
Key words: sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides), haloperidol, locomotor activity, tryptophan, brain serotonin