Epicatechin as a promising agent against arsenic-induced neurobehavioral toxicity in NMRI mice: behavioral and biochemical alterations

Epicatechin (Epi) is one of the most abundant flavonoids present in different fruits and tea leaves. Emerging research illuminates the promising potential of catechins to serve as a shield against the damaging effects of arsenic (As) exposure in diverse organs.

This study sought to discern whether Epi exhibits a therapeutic efficacy against arsenic-induced neurotoxicity in a murine model.

The Naval Medical Research Institute (NMRI) mice were randomly partitioned into six distinct groups, which included a control group receiving normal saline, a group receiving a daily oral dose of arsenic (10 mg/kg) for 5 weeks, groups receiving As (10 mg/kg/day) orally for 5 weeks along with different doses of Epi (25–100 mg/kg) orally for the last 2 weeks, and a group receiving Epi (100 mg/kg) orally for 2 weeks. To assess the potential effects of Epi, neurobehavioral tests, various parameters of oxidative stress, and inflammation were evaluated.

The findings of this investigation revealed that As-induced neurobehavioral toxicity was associated with a notable surge in lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide (NO) concentration, accompanied by a reduction in the levels of antioxidant markers. As heightened pro-inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels were observed alongside amplified nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 (Nrf2) expression. However, treatment with Epi reversed these effects.

On the whole, these findings indicate that Epi may hold promise therapeutic efficacy on As-induced neurotoxicity by improving antioxidant status and mitigating oxidative stress and inflammation. Nevertheless, further research is imperative to comprehensively grasp the potential protective effects of Epi in this particular context.