Anticonvulsant and Anti-anxiety Effects of Royal Jelly in Adult Male Syrian Rats

Abstract

Objective Royal jelly is a honey bee secretion with beneficial effects on the nervous system. The present study aims to investigate the effects of royal jelly in reducing seizure and anxiety-like behaviors in Syrian rats. Methods This is an experimental study. In the seizure model, 25 male white Syrian rats were randomly divided into five groups: Control, royal jelly 100 mg/kg, royal jelly 200 mg/kg, royal jelly 400 mg/kg, and phenobarbital. After 30 minutes, strychnine was injected to induce seizure in animals. The time of seizure onset, seizure duration, and mortality rate in animals were recorded. In the anxiety model, 35 male white Syrian rats were randomly divided into five groups: Control, royal jelly 50 mg/kg, royal jelly 100 mg/kg, royal jelly 200 mg/kg, and diazepam. Anxiety-like behaviors were examined by using the elevated plus maze (EPM) test. Data analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA, and P<0.05 was statistically significant. Results Royal jelly at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg delayed the time of seizure onset and reduced the seizure duration compared to the control group (P<0.05). The mortality rate was also reduced after using different doses of royal jelly compared to the control group (P<0.05). Moreover, royal jelly at doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg increased the time spent in the open arms of the EPM platform and the number of entries to the open arms compared to the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion Administration of royal jelly can reduce strychnine-induced seizure and modulate anxiety-like behaviors in rats.