Efeitos de dietas à base de castanha de caju durante a gestação e lactação sobre o desenvolvimento comportamental da prole de ratos.

Abstract

Nutrition plays an important role in the maintenance of organ systems. The nervous system in development phase, which occurs in the prenatal and postnatal, requires a satisfactory supply of nutrients. So it is necessary that the mother has a balanced diet with adequate intake of essential fatty acids, essential nutrients to neuronal development. Cashew nuts are a great source of essential fatty acids. This study aimed to investigate the behavioral changes in the offspring of rats that received the experimental diet with lipid content of cashew base during pregnancy and lactation. Primiparous female Wistar, with 90 days and weight 230 ± 14 g, were divided into three groups: control group (C) (n = 17) - control diet containing 7% lipids (soybean oil); Normolipídico group cashews (NCC) (n = 15) - the experimental diet cashew base containing 7% lipids; group hyperlipidic cashew nuts (HCC) (n = 9) - experimental diet to cashew base containing 20% fat. After weaning at 21 days of age the animals were receiving standard Purina Essence®. The experimental diets were modified according to the recommendations of American Institute of Nutrition AIN-93G and were made in the Food Technology Laboratory of the Federal University of Campina Grande / Campus CES. To evaluate the anxiety parameters, two tests were performed: Field Test Open and the Labyrinth Test in Cruz High (ECL). In the evaluation, the effect of cashew nuts about memory were performed two tests: the Object Recognition Test and the Test Habituation to the Open Field. The results obtained in the Open Field significant result was the HCC group (p <0.05) with the number of pats, showing less anxiety in this group. EPM test was no difference in time spent in the central area of the NCC group (p <0.05). In the evaluation of the memory Habituation test the Field Open the NCC group (p <0.05) showed a lower ambulation rate in the second exposure with better facilitation of memory. The object recognition test performed better in memory to the short term in the NCC (p <0.05) group explored more the new object. In memory to the long-term group C and NCC (p <0.05) explored longer the new object. In conclusion, is explained in this paper that the diet of the cashew based on the period of pregnancy and lactation exerts significant roles on the behavior of the offspring.