Effect of Mucuna pruriens seed extract on depression-like behavior derived from mild traumatic brain injury in rats

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a severe health problem for which there is no specific treatment, leading to neurological or neuropsychological consequences. One of the most described disorders, even after mild TBI (mTBI), is depression, related to mechanisms involving reactive oxygen species (ROS). The Mucuna pruriens (M. pruriens) plant has various antioxidant, neuroprotective, and anti-inflammatory properties.

There is insufficient evidence of M. pruriens use for the treatment of neurobehavioral and depressive impairments induced by TBI and of the mechanisms underlying this effect, so we aimed to evaluate the ability of shortterm administration of M. pruriens extract to prevent neurobehavioral impairment and depression-like behaviors in a murine model of mTBI as well as evaluate the role of oxidative stress.

Male Wistar rats underwent mTBI or sham surgery. Immediately after, they were treated with vehicle or M. pruriens extract (50 mg/kg ip/day for five days). We evaluated neurobehavioral recovery using the Neurobehavioral Severity Scale-Revised (NSS-R) and the immobility time in the forced swimming test 3, 7, 15, 30, and 60 days after mTBI. In addition, lipid peroxidation (LP) and GSH concentrations were determined in some brain areas (motor cortex, striatum, midbrain, and nucleus accumbens).

M. pruriens extract did not decrease neurobehavioral impairment caused by mTBI. Nevertheless, it prevented depression-like behaviors starting three days after mTBI, reduced LP, and increased GSH in some brain areas. Conclusions: M. pruriens may prevent depression-like behaviors and reduce oxidative stress by decreasing LP and increasing concentrations of antioxidant compounds.