Efeitos do extrato aquoso de Phyllanthus niruri Linn sobre parâmetros neurocomportamentais na prole de ratas tratadas durante a gestação e lactação.

Abstract

Phyllanthus niruri Linn, an herbaceous species belonging to the Phyllanthaceae family, popularly known as “quebra-pedra”, is a plant used in traditional medicine to treat various diseases, mainly kidney stones. It is widely studied for a variety of pharmacological properties. However, the effects of maternal exposure to P. niruri remain unexplored. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of the administration of the aqueous extract of P. niruri (EAPN), during pregnancy and lactation, regarding systemic maternal toxicity, neonatal reflex ontogenesis and the development of the memory of the offspring of rats in life adult. Primigravida rats were randomly divided into three groups: one control (n = 8) and two treated orally (gavage) with EAPN (75 and 150 mg/kg/day) (n = 8/group) during pregnancy and lactation. In mothers, weight evolution, feed intake, fertility parameters and reproductive performance were analyzed. In puppies, maturation of reflex parameters was assessed between the 1st and 21st postnatal days. In adulthood (80 to 90 postnatal days), the animals were subjected to the following tests to assess learning and memory: habituation test to the open field, as repeated exposure after seven days; and the object recognition test, with exposure of the animal to the open field to a habituation, familiarization session and two test phases. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used for non-parametric data and One-Way and Two-Way ANOVA for parametric data. Differences between groups were considered significant when p < 0.05. Maternal exposure to EAPN at doses of 75 and 150 mg/kg did not interfere with body weight gain, feed intake, fertility parameters and reproductive performance. In the offspring, anticipation of the time of completion of reflex ontogenesis was observed for most of the evaluated parameters (p < 0.05). During adulthood, the EAPN groups showed a decrease in exploratory activity, in a dose-dependent manner, and in locomotor activity after a second exposure in the habituation test in the open field (p < 0.05), indicating facilitation of learning. In addition, exposure to the extract at 75 and 150 mg / kg induced a significant and dosedependent improvement in short and long-term memory in the object recognition test (p < 0.05), observed through the statistically significant increase in the total time used to explore the new object compared to the time spent on the familiar object. The present study provides, for the first time, evidence that the administration of EAPN does not induce maternal and neonatal toxicity, accelerates the reflexive maturation of neonates and improves the learning and memory of the offspring in a dose-dependent manner.