Comparative efficacy of choline vs Clitoria ternatea aqueous root extract supplements in attenuating maternal separation stress induced alterations in postnatal rat hippocampus.

Perinatal maternal separation stress (PMSS) causes brain deficits that last through ageing. Choline is essential for brain development. Alternately, Clitorea ternatea aqueous root extract (CTR) is proved to enhance neural plasticity in rat hippocampus. The present study is designed to elucidate the comparative efficacy of choline and CTR in attenuating PMSS induced neural cell deficits in CA1, CA3 and DG sub-regions of hippocampus. Inbred Wistar rat pups were divided into 4 groups - Control, PMSS, PMSS + Choline, PMSS + CTR [n=6pups/group]. All pups were subjected to PMSS for 6hours/day from postnatal day (PND) 2 to 21 except the controls. Choline and CTR were supplemented to appropriate groups during the same period. PMSS caused significant neural deficits in all sub-regions of hippocampus compared to the same in normal controls, whereas supplementation of CTR to these rats significantly preserved (p<0.001) these cells in all sub-regions of hippocampus, while choline supplementation preserved (p<0.001) neural cells only in CA3 and DG. Moreover preservation of neural cells in CA1 (p<0.05) and DG (p<0.01) was significantly greater in PMSS + CTR as compared to the same in PMSS+ choline. Thus, supplementation of CTR, compared to choline during developmental periods is more effective in attenuating neural deficits in hippocampus.