The Effect of Hydromethanolic Extracts of Mangifera Indica Stem Bark and Leaf on Selected Neurotransmitters in Electroconvulsive Therapy-Induced Seizures in Male Wistar Rats

Abstract

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), although therapeutically efficacious in severe neuropsychiatric disorders, induces profound neurochemical remodeling within limbic circuits. The present study investigated the modulatory effects of Mangifera indica stem bark extract (MSBE) and leaf extract (MLE) on key neurochemical indices in an ECT-induced seizure model. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE), dopamine (DOPA), γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) concentrations were quantified and compared with diazepam (DZP) treatment. ECT alone produced marked elevations in AChE (12.46 ± 0.28 ng/ml), DOPA (12.20 ± 0.86 ng/ml), GABA (6.38 ± 0.20 ng/ml), and BDNF (176.80 ± 6.46 ng/ml) relative to control (6.53 ± 0.09; 5.00 ± 0.55; 1.80 ± 0.21; 114.00 ± 2.28 ng/ml, respectively), indicating enhanced cholinergic turnover, dopaminergic activation, inhibitory neurotransmission, and neurotrophic signaling. DZP co-administration attenuated AChE activity (9.03 ± 0.60 ng/ml) and partially normalized BDNF (125.60 ± 3.31 ng/ml), while sustaining elevated DOPA levels (13.40 ± 0.51 ng/ml). Both MSBE and MLE demonstrated dose-dependent neuromodulatory effects. MSBE (300 and 600 mg/kg) reduced AChE relative to ECT alone (10.53 ± 0.31 and 10.35 ± 0.60 ng/ml, respectively) and moderated GABA concentrations (3.78 ± 0.11 and 3.00 ± 0.04 ng/ml), while maintaining elevated yet controlled BDNF levels (146.00 ± 2.35 and 136.80 ± 2.85 ng/ml). Similarly, MLE (300 and 600 mg/kg) attenuated excessive inhibitory tone (4.42 ± 0.12 and 3.40 ± 0.07 ng/ml GABA) and sustained neurotrophic upregulation (148.40 ± 3.23 and 146.80 ± 3.29 ng/ml BDNF). Notably, both extracts preserved dopaminergic activation without the exaggerated cholinergic and GABAergic elevations observed in the ECT-only group. Collectively, these findings indicate that Mangifera indica stem bark and leaf extracts exert stabilizing effects on excitatory–inhibitory neurotransmitter balance and neurotrophic signaling following ECT-induced seizures. Their ability to recalibrate cholinergic, dopaminergic, and GABAergic indices while sustaining adaptive BDNF upregulation suggests potential neuroprotective and homeostatic properties, supporting further mechanistic and translational investigations.