Enriched biscuits of Ficus Capensis modulates neurobehavioral performance and antioxidant status of L-NAME-induced hypertensive rats with anxiety-like behavior

Anxiety and cognitive deterioration in hypertensive patients are underreported especially in hypertensive state. This study investigated the neuroprotective effect of Ficus capensis (FC) on cognition and anxiety-like behaviors in L-NAME-induced hypertensive male rats.

Rats were administered 40 mg/kg/day L-NAME and treated with atenolol (10 mg/kg/day), diazepam (5 mg/kg/day), 2.5 g, and 5.0 g FC-enriched biscuits, respectively, (n = 8) per group for 21 consecutive days. Locomotor behavior was monitored using video-tracking software for open-field tests, elevated plus maze tests, and light and dark tests, and blood pressure was measured with non-invasive tail-cuff motoring. Furthermore, acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), antioxidant enzymes' activities in the hypothalamic and medulla brain regions, and histological staining in the hypothalamic brain section were deduced.

Findings from this study indicated that treatment of L-NAME-induced hypertensive rats with FC significantly (p < 0.05) ameliorated cognitive deficits and anxiety-like behavior, specifically by decreasing cumulative immobility duration in open field, rearing, latency time, and number in the dark and increasing latency time and number in the light in light and dark boxes, and zonal alterations in elevated plus maze. Additionally, FC assuaged the L-NAME-induced decrease in brain antioxidant enzyme activities and increased AChE and BChE activity and lipid peroxidation levels in the hypothalamus and medulla of hypertensive rats.

Taken together, FC revealed its role in reducing L-NAME-induced cognitive decline and anxiety-like behavior in hypertensive rats to be linked to its ability to restore cholinesterase enzyme activity and augment redox status. However, FC had no effect on the brain structure of L-NAME hypertensive rats in the current study.