Neurobehavioural evaluation of resveratrol in murine models of anxiety and schizophrenia

Resveratrol, a caloric restriction mimetic, is a naturally occurring polyphenolic compound with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Oxidative stress has been implicated in the etiology of a number of neuropsychiatric disorders including generalized anxiety and schizophrenia. This study investigated the anxiolytic and antipsychotic potentials of resveratrol in murine models of anxiety and schizophrenia. Mice were pretreated with resveratrol (200 and 400 mg/kg) in 1% carboxymethyl cellulose for 14 days and subjected to behavioural tests on the 15th day. Anxiolytic activity of resveratrol was determined using the hole board and staircase tests while its anti-psychotic property was evaluated via apormorphine induced stereotypy and swim-induced grooming tests. Although resveratrol did not significantly reduce the mean number of head dips at doses used in the hole board test, it significantly (p < 0.01) decreased the mean episodes of rearing without significantly altering the total number of upward steps climbed in the staircase test. Resveratrol significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the mean climbing scores in the first ten minutes of the apormorphine induced stereotypic climbing and significantly decreased (p < 0.01) episodes and total duration of swim induced grooming in mice. Administration of resveratrol at doses used in this study produced anxiolysis and anti-psychotic effects in mice.