Garlic (Allium sativum) improves anxiety- and depressive-related behaviors and brain oxidative stress in diabetic rats

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of garlic on anxiety- and depression-related behaviors and brain oxidative markers in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes in rats. Fifty-six male Wistar rats were randomly divided into seven experimental groups (n = 8/group): control, diabetic + saline, diabetic + garlic, diabetic + imipramine, and diabetic + diazepam groups. Animals received garlic homogenate (0.1, 0.25, and 0.5 g/kg) for 10 days. At the end of the treatments, anxiety- and depressive-related behaviors were evaluated by elevated plus maze (EPM) and forced swimming test (FST), respectively. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured in the brain. Diabetic + garlic (0.5 g/kg) group showed lower anxiety- and- depressive-like behaviors as compared to the diabetic rats. Furthermore, garlic treatment (0.5 g/kg) attenuated MDA levels and enhanced SOD and GPx activities in the brain. Our findings indicate that garlic alleviates anxiety- and depression-related behaviors in the diabetic rats possibly by attenuation of brain oxidative stress.

Keywords:

• Diabetes
• garlic
• anxiety
• depression
• oxidative stress

Acknowledgements

The article is based on the MSc thesis of Mrs. Ghazaleh Rahmani entitled "Effect of garlic on anxiety and depression of diabetes induced by streptozotocin in adult male rats".

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by a grant from the Neuroscience Research Center (NSRC) of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.