Pretreatment with Carpolobia lutea ethanol extract prevents schizophrenia-like behavior in mice models of psychosis

Carpolobia lutea decoction is widely used as a phytotherapeutic against central nervous system-related disorders including insomnia, migraine headache, and mental illness in West and Central Tropical Africa. This study was designed to investigate the antipsychotic activity of Carpolobia lutea (EECL) in mice models of psychosis. Male Swiss mice (n = 5/group) were given EECL (100, 200, 400, and 800 mg/kg), haloperidol (1 mg/kg), clozapine (5 mg/kg) and vehicle (10 mL/kg) orally before amphetamine (5 mg/kg)-induced hyperlocomotion and stereotypy, apomorphine (2 mg/kg)-induced stereotypy, or ketamine (10, 30, and 100 mg/kg)-induced hyperlocomotion, enhancement of immobility and cognitive impairment. EECL (200, 400, and 800 mg/kg) prevented amphetamine- and apomorphine-induced stereotypies, as well as reduced hyperlocomotion induced by amphetamine and ketamine, all of which are predictors of positive symptoms. Regardless of the dose administered, EECL prevented the index of negative symptoms induced by ketamine. Furthermore, higher doses of EECL (400 and 800 mg/kg) also prevented ketamine-induced cognitive impairment, a behavioral phenotype of cognitive symptoms. Pretreatment with EECL demonstrated antipsychotic activity in mice, preventing amphetamine-, apomorphine-, and ketamine-induced schizophrenia-like symptoms, with 800 mg/kg being the most effective dose. [Display omitted] •C. lutea alleviates drugs-induced schizophrenia-like symptoms.•C. lutea produces therapeutic effects most similar to clozapine, an atypical antipsychotic.•C. lutea has a high safety limit and also free of extrapyramidal symptoms.•C. lutea anti-schizophrenia-like activity may be attributed to its phytochemicals bioactive metabolites.