Neuroprotective effects of Olea europaea L. fruit extract against cigarette smoke‐induced depressive‐like behaviors in Sprague–Dawley rats

Depression is broadly acclaimed as a mental health anomaly and despite advancements in the development of antidepressant drugs, they are linked with side effects. Dietary modifications and medicinal plants like olives can be used as effective strategies due to their antioxidant, immune‐modulatory, antiinflammatory, and anticonvulsant properties. Considering the compositional alterations in olive fruits during ripening, the antidepressant potential of olive fruits at different degrees of ripeness, that is, un‐ripened (green) and ripened (black) was investigated. Rats were randomly divided into five groups: G0 (Normal diet), G1 (Normal diet + smoke exposure (SE), G2 (Normal diet + SE + Citalopram), G3 (Normal diet + SE + Green olive extract), and G4 (Normal diet + SE + Black olive extract). Depressive‐like behaviors were induced in all groups through cigarette smoke exposure except G0. Green and black olive extracts prevented depressive behaviors by reducing the immobility time of rats in forced swim test and tail suspension test while increased the latency to respond in hot plate assay. Moreover, lipid peroxidation in brain tissue was reduced with citalopram, green, and black olive extracts. Additionally, treatments also enhanced the antioxidant pool of brain tissues. Histological examination revealed that olive extracts and citalopram prevented cigarette smoke‐induced moderate to severe necrosis and congestion in the brain parenchyma and elucidated antidepressant potential by improving the expression of monoamine oxidase‐A, solute carrier family 6 member 4, and brain‐derived neurotrophic factor genes. Conclusively, olives may act as a promising antidepressant agent in ameliorating cigarette smoke‐induced depressive‐like behaviors. Practical applications Olive extracts at both ripening stages revealed an antidepressant‐like effect almost similar to the standard antidepressant drug and also prevented oxidative damages. Therefore, from the current findings, it can be recommended that food ingredients with antidepressant potential like olives should be incorporated in future interventions to combat depression/psychiatric anomalies and diet therapy should be encouraged to alleviate lifestyle‐related disorders. Green and Black olive extracts ameliorated the cigarette smoke‐induced depressive‐like behaviors in rat model by reducing the immobility period of rats in forced swim test and tail suspension test while increasing the latency to respond in hot plate assay