Antipsychotic effect of diosgenin in ketamine-induced murine model of schizophrenia: Involvement of oxidative stress and cholinergic transmission
IBRO Neuroscience Reports January 3, 2024 B. Ben-Azu, O. G. Adebayo, A. R. Fokoua et al.
Diosgenin, a plant-derived steroidal saponin with antioxidant properties, prevented and reversed behavioral deficits—including hyperlocomotion, cognitive impairments, and social withdrawal—in mice given ketamine, which mimics schizophrenia-like symptoms. In the preventive phase, mice received diosgenin (25 or 50 mg/kg) or risperidone for 14 days before and during ketamine administration; in the reversal phase, ketamine was given first, followed by diosgenin or risperidone from days 8–14. Diosgenin reduced ketamine-induced increases in acetylcholinesterase activity, malondialdehyde, and nitrite levels in the striatum, prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus, though it did not reverse striatal nitrite levels. It also raised glutathione and catalase levels, except for hippocampal catalase. These biochemical changes may underlie the observed behavioral improvements.