Neuroprotective potentials of Lycopersicon esculentum fruit extract on cadmium-induced toxicity in postnatal developing cerebellum of rats

The neuroprotective potemtials of Lycopersicon esculentum fruit extract on cadmium-induced oxidative stress in postnatal developing cerebellum of rats. Twenty-five pregnant Wistar rats (110-200g) were divided into five groups (n=5) and used for the experiment. Group I served as control and received water, Group II received 0.5mg/kg of Cadmium only, Group III received 50mg/kg aqueous extract of Lycopersicon esculentum only, Group IV received 0.5mg/kg body weight of cadmium+50mg/kg aqueous extract of Lycopersicon esculentum and Group V received 0.5mg/kg of cadmium +200mg/kg of vitamin C, orally from the first day of gestation to postnatal day 21. Lycopersicon esculentum was administered one hour before the administration of cadmium. Neurobehavioural tests was done on the pups of day 21. Then, pups of day 1, 7, 14, 21, and 28 were weighed, sacrificed and their brains dissected out, weighed with the cerebellum preserved for biochemical and histomorphological evaluations. Data were analysed using ANOVA at p < 0.05. Cadmium-treated rats showed significant decreased in body and brain weight, decreased time spent on the forelimb grip, increased negative geotaxis, increased lipid peroxidation (LPO), and decreased glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in the developing cerebellum. Histologically, there was persistent external granular layer (EGL), reduced molecular layer (ML) thickness and increased astrocytes population in the cerebellar cortex of cadmium-treated day 21pups. Lycopersicon esculentum extract and vitamin C reversed the behavioural and morphological alterations induced by cadmium toxicity. Cadmium-induced oxidative stress, behavioural deficit and morphological alterations in the postnatal developing cerebellum of rat was ameliorated by Lycopersicon esculentum fruit extracts as such may be a potential neuroprotective agent. Key words: Cadmium - oxidative stress - Lycopersicon esculentum – Neurobehaviour - Developing cerebellar corte