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Heterocyclic Hydroxychalcone Promotes Anxiolytic and Anticonvulsant Effects through Gabaergic Neuromodulation in Wild Adult Zebrafish

Authors

  • Milena Lira Furtado

    State University of Ceará, Graduate Program in Natural Sciences, Natural Products Chemistry Laboratory, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil

  • Antonio Wlisses da Silva

    State University of Ceará, Northeaste Biotechnology Network, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil

  • Naubert Bezerra De Melo

    State University of Ceará, Graduate Program in Natural Sciences, Natural Products Chemistry Laboratory, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil

  • Roberto Lima de Albuquerque

    State University of Ceará, Graduate Program in Natural Sciences, Natural Products Chemistry Laboratory, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil

  • Dráulio Sales da Silva

    Center for Exact Sciences and Technology, State University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil

  • Jane Eire Silva Alencar de Menezes

    State University of Ceará, Graduate Program in Natural Sciences, Natural Products Chemistry Laboratory, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil

  • Elton Patrick Barbano

    Center for Exact Sciences and Technology, State University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil

  • Emmanuel Silva Marinho

    State University of Ceará, Graduate Program in Natural Sciences, Natural Products Chemistry Laboratory, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil

  • Márcia Machado Marinho

    Center for Exact Sciences and Technology, State University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil

  • Andreia Ferreira de Castro Gomes

    Center for Molecular and Environmental Biology, University of Minho, School of Sciences, Department of Biology, Braga, Portugal

  • Sônia Maria Costa Siqueira

    State University of Ceará, Graduate Program in Natural Sciences, Natural Products Chemistry Laboratory, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil

  • Hélcio Silva dos Santos

    State University of Ceará, Graduate Program in Natural Sciences, Natural Products Chemistry Laboratory, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil; State University of Ceará, Northeaste Biotechnology Network, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil and Center for Exact Sciences and Technology, State University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29169/1927-5951.2025.15.09

Keywords:

Zebrafish, liver, Anxiety, Seizure, Flavonoids

Abstract

Benzodiazepines are drugs used to treat anxiety disorders and epilepsy due to their hypnotic, anxiolytic and anticonvulsant functions. But due to existing adverse effects such as decreased psychomotor activity and impaired memory, new and safer drugs are sought. Therefore, this study seeks to evaluate the anxiolytic and anticonvulsant action of chalcone (E)-3-(furan-2-yl)-1-(2-hydroxyphenyl)prop-2-en-1-one against wildadult zebrafish, and the mechanisms of action involved in such effects.The acute toxicity of chalcone was analyzed during 96 hours, and the anxiolytic behavior of fish treated with chalcone was evaluated in light/dark tests and open field tests (n=6 animals/group). In the test to evaluate the anticonvulsant effect of the sample, Pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) was used to induce seizures by immersion. Next, we investigated the mechanism of action with the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) antagonist and performed a molecular coupling study. The results showed that chalcone at doses of 4, 20, and 40 mg/kg was non-toxic and altered fish locomotion (****p<0.0001 vs. control). All analyzed doses exhibited possible anxiolytic effects (* p < 0.05, *** p < 0.001 vs. control) in the light/dark test. This effect was blocked by the antagonist flumazenil (FMZ) at a dose of 40 mg/kg (# p < 0.05 vs. Fmz+Chalcone). In addition to exhibiting anxiolytic effects, chalcone demonstrated anticonvulsant effects via GABA, as confirmed by a binding/activity study (### p < 0.01, #### p < 0.0001 vs. Fmz+Chalcone).

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Published

2025-07-18

Issue

Vol. 15 (2025)

Section

Articles

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Heterocyclic Hydroxychalcone Promotes Anxiolytic and Anticonvulsant Effects through Gabaergic Neuromodulation in Wild Adult Zebrafish. (2025). Journal of Pharmacy and Nutrition Sciences , 15, 85-98. https://doi.org/10.29169/1927-5951.2025.15.09

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