Spatial memory and learning deficit following prenatal exposure to fenugreek seeds aqueous extract in adolescent mice
-
1
University Caddi Ayyad, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia Marrakech, Morroco, Departement of Biology, Morocco
Disturbance of endogenous hormones actions by chemicals, have been implicated in birth defects associated with hormone-dependent development. Phytoestrogens are a class of endocrine disruptors found in plants. In the current study we examined the effects of prenatal exposure to Fenugreek seeds, a phytoestrogen plant; on learning and memory ability of the offspring mice.
Female swiss mice were randomized into 3 groups and subjected to daily oral gavage of Fenugreek seeds aqueous extract at the doses of 500 mg/kg (group A), 1000 mg/kg (group B), or distilled water (group C, as control). Pups body weight was measured at 1, 7, 14, 21 and 28 day of age. From each group, 20 male weaning mice of the first generation were randomly selected to examine their spatial memory (3 weeks) using continuous alternation in T-maze task and to assess associative learning ability by the shuttle-box avoidance learning test (14 weeks). The brain of the offspring was removed and cut for histological evaluation.
The progeny of exposed mice displayed reduced body weight at birth (1000 mg/kg group: 27%; 500 mg/kg group: 32%) and reduced brain weight (10% in both treated groups). Assessment on a continuous alternation T-maze test showed a significant reduction in successful spontaneous alternations in exposed mice but only in the 1000 mg/kg group. In the shuttle-box, the avoidance performance of the treated groups was significantly inferior to that of controls in the 2nd, 3rd and 4the days of the test.
These results allow us to conclude that maternal fenugreek seeds exposure induces growth retardation and disturbance of the learning and memorizing abilities in the offspring mice.
Keywords:
Mice,
Prenatal exposure,
Spacial memory,
behavioral teratology,
Fenugreek seeds aqueous extract
Conference:
4th Conference of the Mediterrarnean Neuroscience Society, Istanbul, Türkiye, 30 Sep - 3 Oct, 2012.
Presentation Type:
Poster Presentation
Topic:
Abstracts
Citation:
Loubna
K,
Mohamed
B,
Zahra
S and
Saadia
B
(2013). Spatial memory and learning deficit following prenatal exposure to fenugreek seeds aqueous extract in adolescent mice.
Conference Abstract:
4th Conference of the Mediterrarnean Neuroscience Society.
doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2013.210.00045
Copyright:
The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers.
They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters.
The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated.
Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed.
For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions.
Received:
25 Jan 2013;
Published Online:
11 Apr 2013.
*
Correspondence:
Miss. Khalki Loubna, University Caddi Ayyad, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia Marrakech, Morroco, Departement of Biology, Marrakech, 40 000, Morocco, lkhalki@gmail.com
Prof. BENNIS Mohamed, University Caddi Ayyad, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia Marrakech, Morroco, Departement of Biology, Marrakech, 40 000, Morocco, mbennis@ucam.ac.ma
Prof. Sokar Zahra, University Caddi Ayyad, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia Marrakech, Morroco, Departement of Biology, Marrakech, 40 000, Morocco, sokar@ucam.ac.ma
Prof. BA-M'Hamed Saadia, University Caddi Ayyad, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia Marrakech, Morroco, Departement of Biology, Marrakech, 40 000, Morocco, bamhamed@ucam.ac.ma