The Aqueous Extract of Portulaca Oleracea Ameliorates Neurobehavioral Dysfunction and Hyperglycemia Related to Streptozotocin-Diabetes Induced in Ovariectomized Rats

Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common causes of neuropathy. Although antioxidant and antidiabetic effects of the aqueous extract of purslane (Portulaca oleracea) (AEOP) have been demonstrated before by other researchers, we did not find any study that assessed the psychobiological effects of AEOP in diabetes induced animals. Thirty ovariectomized (OVX) female Wistar rats were randomly divided into 3 groups of control, Dia and Dia+AEOP. The latter group was orally treated by 300 mg/kg of AEOP for 35 days. Dia and Dia+AEOP groups were made diabetic by IP injection of 60 mg/kg of streptozotocin (STZ). The psychobiological effects of AEOP were assessed by Morris water maze (MWM), elevated plus maze (EPM), forced swimming test (FST) and tail pinch stressor (TPS). AEOP significantly decreased hyperglycemia (p<0.001). Diabetes significantly decreased their spatial cognitive performance at the training trial as well as the total distance traveled at the probe trial in MWM (p<0.05). All the diabetes related deficits at training trials were improved by AEOP treatment (p<0.05). AEOP treatment not only improved the motor deficit of Dia group in EPM, but also showed anxiolytic effects compared to both control and Dia groups (p<0.05). In the FST, no differences were observed between any groups (p>0.05). Diabetes significantly increased their non-functional masticatory activity in TPS (p≤0.001) while it was improved in Dia+AEOP group. We showed that AEOP has significant anxiolytic effects and it can improve spatial cognitive performance, locomotor deficit and stress in diabetic OVX rats.