NARINGENIN MITIGATES BERYLLIUM INDUCED BEHAVIORAL ALTERATIONS IN RATS
Beryllium induced neurotoxicity and therapeutic potential of naringenin had been explored for the first time in rats. For this purpose, 30 female albino rats were divided into six groups. Group 1 served as control, group 2 was naringenin per se and rest of the four groups were exposed to beryllium nitrate (1mg/kg, i.p.) daily for 28 days. Naringenin was orally administered in group 4, 5 and 6 at different doses (10, 20 and 30 mg/kg) for 5 days after 28 days of neurotoxicity. All the animals were subjected to elevate plus maze, light dark chamber and rotarod experiments. Beryllium exposure decreased body weight, time spent and number of entries in open arm, increased time spent in close arms as compared to control in elevated plus maze whereas decreased % time spent in bright arena, number of entries in bright arena and increased % time spent in the dark arena in light and dark chamber; decreased motar coordination and balance skills on rotarod. Naringenin showed therapeutic potential and brought the studied variables more towards control at 20 mg/kg dose. It can thus, be concluded that naringenin may be an agent of therapeutic choice in case of beryllium induced behavioral alterations.