LIMA, G. A.; http://lattes.cnpq.br/6196274540044154; LIMA, Gabriela Alves de.
Résumé:
Even with increasing use and the absence of studies that prove the effectiveness of medicinal
plants, the population in general uses these plants only with empirical knowledge. The use of
medicinal plants among the female public has been growing in recent years, mainly during the
gestational period, in order to alleviate the symptoms arising from the pregnancy itself, which
include nausea, vomiting, heartburn and intestinal constipation, among others. Anacardium
occidentale (Anacardiaceae) is a tree species used in several tropical countries to treat various
diseases, including bacterial infections, inflammation, ulcers and burns. Despite the enormous
pharmacological potential, scientific information is scarce regarding the safety of use and the
maternal effects of its exposure during periods of pregnancy and lactation. Therefore, the aim
of this study was the behavioral assessment of Wistar rats treated with A. ocidentale extract
during the period of pregnancy and lactation. Primiparous female rats of the wistar lineage,
aged between 90 and 120 days, and weighing 200 ± 50g, from the Experimental Nutrition
Laboratory (LANEX) of the Education and Health Center (CES), UFCG, campus Cuité /
Paraíba. The rats were mated for 24 hours, with one female for each male, for seven days.
After confirmation of pregnancy, the pregnant rats were housed in individual maternity cages,
randomly divided into two groups: CONTROL group (n = 9) that received distilled water by
gavage; and EXTRACT group (n = 9), which received a dose of 100mg / kg / day of the
hydroalcoholic extract of Anacardium occidentale, by gavage from the first day of pregnancy
until the end of lactation. The following behavioral tests were performed for anxiety analysis:
Open Field, Elevated Cross Maze and Light / Dark Box. The results of this study indicate, for
the first time, that the administration of the hydroalcoholic extract of the leaf of the purple
cashew tree (A. occidentale), during the gestation and lactation periods, at the dose of 100 mg
/ kg / day, affected the animals' behavior , demonstrating an anxiogenic effect, suggesting a
toxic effect after exposure to the extract, during the period of pregnancy and lactation.
However, additional studies should be carried out, in order to better understand the impact of
the extract and phytochemicals of this species on the maternal organism.