Neurobehavioral and Microscopic Assesements of Methanol Fruit Extract of Phoenix Dactylifera on Lead Acetate-Induced Cerebellar Changes in Wistar Rats

Lead is a highly toxic substance, exposure to which can produce a wide range of adverse health effects on humans including neurological conditions. Phoenix dactylifera (date palm) is of vast medicinal and nutritious values. This study assessed the neuroprotective effect of methanol fruit pulp extract of Phoenix dactylifera (MFPD) following lead acetate (PbA)-triggered cerebellar changes in Wistar rats. Twenty-four rats were divided into six groups (n=4): Control group administered distilled water (2ml/kg); PbA (120mg/kg) group; Vitamin C (100mg/kg)+PbA group; MFPD (250 mg/kg)+PbA group, MFPD (500mg/kg)+PbA group and MFPD (1000mg/kg)+PbA group. Treatments were via oral route for a period of 14 days. Neuroprotective property of MFPD was evaluated using neurobehavioral assessment (beam walking performance for motor coordination and balance) and microscopic examination of cerebellar cortex applying histological and histochemical staining techniques and quantification of Nissl substance distribution (NSD) using a computer running image analysis software (ImageJ, NIH, US). In PbA-treated group, results revealed neurodegenerative changes as remarkable (p<0.05) motor coordination impairment as altered beam walk performance and cortical cerebellar cytoarchitectural distortions including pyknotic nuclei, perineuronal vacoulation and satellitosis and remarkably reduced NSD. However, administration of MFPD remarkably ameliorated PbA–induced motor coordination impairment by reduced latency time to perform the beam walking task and ameliorated cerebellar changes by preserving cortical cerebellar cytotoarchitecture, especially with MFPD 500mg/kg-treatment. Findings suggest that MFPD possess neuroprotective activity which could be attributed to antioxidant properties of its constituent phytochemicals and, could be of potential benefit in the treatment and/ or management of heavy metal-triggered neurodegenerative-related disorders.

Key Words: Antioxidant, Beam walking, Cytoarchitecture, Neurodegeneration, Neuroprotection