Objective: Isolating flavonoids from Peel of Persea americana fruits & testing their effects on CNS redox homeostasis culminating in neurobehavioural amelioration among rats.

Background: Cellular stress is a main “Threat to homeostasis” & a set of related physiological & behavioral adaptive responses. Stress in CNS in conjugation with peripheral organs triggers dysregulation of cellular balance leading to psychiatric, endocrine, metabolic & autoimmune diseases. Allopathic therapies though effective have a plethora of adverse effects; hence there is a dire need for natural adoptogens which increase the resistance to aversive inputs & result in totiprotection against stress. Persea americana mill (Avocado, Lauraceae) is a nutritious supplementary fruit tree, of which pulp has an excellent culinary usage globally. However, antioxidant properties of peel are markedly higher than that of the pulp as evidenced with in vitro chemical systems. Despite this, the peel are not considered for the use either in culinary or medical preparations.

Methods: Persea fruits were peeled & the skin was dried, pulverized &extracted with solvent gradient system to achieve maximum flavonoid fraction. The Persea americana peel flavonoids (PAPF) rich fraction was dried under pressure and refrigerated. Adult Male wistar rats (12 wk old) were supplemented with PAPF (50mg/ kg bw/d, p.o., 28days). Rats were monitored weekly for change in body weight, psychological stress & locomotor behavior using open field test. Terminally, brain regions were assessed biochemically for neuronal redox status among mitochondria and cytosol.

Results: PAPF did not affect the growth of rats however they demonstrated a marked reduction in normal stress behavior & locomotor function in open field test. From the first week of PAPF supplements, rats showed improved natural exploratory activity in terms of ‘rearing’ and boxes/lines crossed in OFT. Additionally, rats receiving PAPF spent more time in the central area than the periphery suggesting improved locomotion. Further, there was a significant reduction in the oxidative markers like hydroperoxides, lipid peroxides & increased glutathione levels among cytosol and mitochondria of the brain regions from PAPF groups. Additionally, GST activity levels were also modulated with PAPF supplements.

Conclusions: Our data strongly suggest a neuroameliorative propensity of flavonoids from Persea americana fruit peel as evidenced from the improved stress/locomotion and CNS redox status. Future studies are designed to elucidate neuro-molecular markers involved.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/neuromodulatory-properties-of-flavonoids-from-persea-americana-peel-role-in-cns-redox-homeostasis-and-neurobehavioral-markers/