ISHS Acta Horticulturae 680: III WOCMAP Congress on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants - Volume 6: Traditional Medicine and Nutraceuticals
RESTRAINT STRESS INDUCED CHANGES AND THEIR MODIFICATION BY SPIRULINA PLATENSIS IN ALBINO RATS: AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY |
| Authors: | A.R. Juvekar, R.S. Nachankar |
| Keywords: | blue green algae, chronic stress, corticosteroids |
| Abstract:
Spirulina platensis is a blue green algae containing vital nutrients (proteins, lipids and carbohydrates), minerals (zinc, magnesium, manganese, selenium), vitamins (  –carotene, riboflavin, cyanocobalamine,  -tocopherol), and –linoleic acid, reported to promote physical health, improve defense mechanisms of the human body and enhance longevity of life.
These attributes are similar to the modern concept of adaptogenic agents, which are known to afford protection of the human physiological system against diverse stressors.
Present study investigated the adaptogenic activity of S. platensis against chronic restraint stress induced perturbations in glucose metabolism and immunosupression.
Adrenal gland weight, corticosterone content of adrenal gland, plasma corticosterone levels, and histopathological studies of adrenal gland were used as stress indices.
Ginseng (Panax ginseng) was used as the standard adaptogenic agent for comparison.
Chronic restraint stress induced marked increase in plasma glucose levels, significant increase in adrenal gland weight and plasma corticosterone levels with concomitant decrease in adrenal gland corticosterone content.
Restraint stress resulted in distortion of cords, loss of architecture and formation of lesions in the cortex of adrenal gland.
These effects were attenuated by S. platensis (100, 200 and 500 mg/kg, p.o.) and ginseng (100 mg/kg, p.o.) administered once daily over a period of 14 d (prior stress period) and continued for next 7 d (during the period of stress induction). Results indicate that S. platensis has adaptogenic activity, qualitatively comparable to ginseng, against a variety of biochemical, physiological and histological perturbations induced by restraint stress.
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