Memory is improved and reflex maturation accelerated in the progeny of rat dams that consumed pequi (Caryocar Brasiliense).

Abstract

This study evaluated the influence of maternal consumption of pequi pulp and nuts during pregnancy and lactation on reflex and somatic maturation and memory performance in rat offspring. The pups were divided into three groups: Control, treated with distilled water; a Pulp group and a Nuts group, treated with 2000 mg/kg of body weight of pequi pulp and nuts, respectively. Reflex and somatic maturation of the offspring were evaluated during lactation. Short and long-term memory consolidation in adolescent offspring were measured by evaluating habituation to the open field and object recognition. Data showed an acceleration of reflex maturation in three of the seven parameters evaluated in the Nuts group and four parameters in the Pulp group compared to the control. There was an acceleration in the appearance of somatic maturation in one parameter in the Nuts group and three in the pulp group compared to the control. The long-term object recognition rate was higher in the Nuts group compared to the control and highest in the Pulp group. Maternal levels of malonaldehyde in the brain were measured and their levels in the Pulp and Nuts groups were lower than those in the Control group. We can conclude that consumption of both pulp and pequi nuts promoted a reduction in oxidative stress in the maternal brain, promoted acceleration of reflex and somatic maturation, and improved long-term memory in the offspring, with these effects being more intense in the Pulp group.