Cocoa and classical music: effect on anxiety and antioxidant activity in Wistar rats

• Published in: Archivos latinoamericanos de nutrición Vol. 67; no. 2; pp. 106 - 115
• Main Authors: Anice Milbratz de Camargo, Bonde, Henrique, Débora Delwing Dal Magro, Daniela Delwing de Lima, Luciane Coutinho de Azevedo Campanella
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Caracas José Féliz Chávez Pérez 01-06-2017; Sociedad Latinoamericana de Nutrición
• Subjects: Antioxidants; Anxiety; Behavior; Classical music; Cocoa; Hypertension; Immune system; Laboratory animals; Lipid peroxidation; Lipids; Nervous system; NUTRITION & DIETETICS; Oxidative stress; Polyphenols; Studies; anxiety; open field; laberinto en cruz elevado; Cacao en polvo; campo abierto; Cocoa powder; ansiedad; classical music; música clásica; estrés oxidativo; elevated plus maze; oxidative stress
• EISSN: 2309-5806
• ISSN: 0004-0622

The effect of cocoa powder and subchronic exposure to classical music in Wistar rats behavior on anxiety evaluation tests and their antioxidant activity was evaluated. The animals were divided into four groups: control group (CG), cocoa powder group (CPG), music group (MG) and cocoa powder with music group (CPMG). During 15 days, CPG and CPMG received commercial non-alkalized cocoa powder daily (66 mg total polyphenols / g of product, by oral gavage), while MG and CPMG were exposed to the music of Mozart (Serenade N.10 in B flat major for woodwinds and bass, "Gran partita" K.361 / 370a, Largo movement, 8:35 minutes long). At the end of the experiment, the animals were submitted to elevated plus-maze (EPM) and openfield (OF) tests, and serum analysis of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances index (TBA-RS) and the activity of antioxidant enzymes catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px). Animals from MG and CPMG groups showed the highest total horizontal locomotion and more time spent at the central area and reduced immobility time at the OF. The TBA-RS average of the treated groups were lower than the GC. The average activity of CAT was higher in CPMG than the others, and the average activity of SOD and GSH-Px were higher only in CPG and CPMG. We concluded that the treatment with this classical music showed mild anxiolytic activity. Both treatments (cocoa and music) improved serum antioxidant status, but the peripheral activity of different serum enzymes was mainly improved by the cocoa powder.