Carvacrol alleviates CUMS-induced depressive-like behaviors and cognitive impairment by reducing oxidative stress and neuroinflammation in mice

• Published in: Behavioural brain research 2024-08, Vol.472, p.115135, Article 115135
• Main Authors: Valentim, José Tiago, da Silva, Daniel Moreira Alves, Capibaribe, Victor Celso Cavalcanti, Sales, Iardja Stéfane Lopes, Rebouças, Manoela de Oliveira, Araújo, Layla Alves, Chaves, Raquell de Castro, Campelo, Matheus da Silva, Ribeiro, Maria Elenir Nobre Pinho, de Sousa, Francisca Cléa Florenço
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antidepressive Agents - administration & dosage; Antidepressive Agents - pharmacology; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Behavior, Animal - drug effects; Carvacrol; Chronic stress; Cognitive Dysfunction - drug therapy; Cognitive Dysfunction - etiology; Cognitive Dysfunction - metabolism; Cymenes - administration & dosage; Cymenes - pharmacology; Depression; Depression - drug therapy; Depression - etiology; Depression - metabolism; Disease Models, Animal; Fluoxetine - administration & dosage; Fluoxetine - pharmacology; Hippocampus - drug effects; Hippocampus - metabolism; Inflammation; Interleukin-1beta - metabolism; Male; Mice; Neuroinflammatory Diseases - drug therapy; Neuroinflammatory Diseases - metabolism; Oxidative stress; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Stress, Psychological - complications; Stress, Psychological - drug therapy; Stress, Psychological - metabolism
• ISSN: 0166-4328; 1872-7549; 1872-7549
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2024.115135

The present study aimed to evaluate the protective potential of carvacrol against depressive-like behavior and cognitive impairment prompted by chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) in mice. The animals were divided into six groups: Control (non-stressed), CARV (carvacrol at 50 mg/kg, p.o.), FLU (fluoxetine at 10 mg/kg, p.o.), CUMS (stressed), CUMS + CARV and CUMS + FLU, and the groups with CUMS were subjected to different stressors for 28 days. After treatment, mice underwent behavioral testing (open field, forced swimming, sucrose preference, social interaction, novel object recognition and Y-maze) and brain areas were removed for oxidative stress (MDA, nitrite/nitrate and GSH levels) and cytokine (IL-1β and TNF-α) content assays. The results revealed that CARV administration reversed depressive-like behavior and significantly ameliorated the cognitive deficit induced by CUMS, as well as was able to attenuate oxidative stress (decreased MDA and nitrite/nitrate levels and increased GSH levels). In addition, a significant reduction in hippocampal IL-1β and TNF-α levels was observed, demonstrating a potential anti-neuroinflammatory activity. Taken together, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities observed in this study indicate that CARV is a promising drug for antidepressant treatment. [Display omitted] •Carvacrol improved the depression-associated behaviors of CUMS mice;•Carvacrol attenuated oxidative stress in the brain areas of mice;•Carvacrol decreased the hippocampal levels of IL-1β and TNF-α;•Carvacrol can mitigate depressive-like behaviors in mice.