Efficacy of cinnamon extract (Cinnamomum burmannii) as supplementation in lir-psychotic-induced rats through oxidative stress regulation in neuronal cells

BACKGROUND: Cinnamon is a plant that is often found in Indonesia and is rich in secondary metabolites such as flavonoids, phenols, tannins, and alkaloids. Flavonoids and phenols are very potential as natural antioxidants to suppress various oxidant activities, including oxidant activity that occurs in the hippocampus, which is the underlying psychotic disorder. AIM: This study was aimed to explore the potential of cinnamon extract (CE) on psychotic symptoms. METHODS: Cinnamon simplicia was obtained from the Research and Testing Center for Traditional Medicine, Tawangmangu, Central Java, Indonesia. The extraction of cinnamon was carried out using the maceration method. The animals were subjected to lir-psychotic induction by intraperitoneal injection with ketamine (30 mg/kg BW) for 5 days. The rats were grouped into six groups; each group contained five animals; normal control group, a lir-psychotic group without treatment, lir-psychotic group with haloperidol, lir-psychotic with CE (25 mg/kg BW, 50 mg/kg BW, and 100 mg/kg BW). Oxidative stress in experimental animals was measured by evaluating malondialdehyde (MDA) expression in the brain tissue using immunohistochemical tests. RESULTS: There were differences in clinical symptoms of psychotic disorder in the animal model between before intervention with CE supplementation and after the intervention. The higher the CE dose administered, the better the improvement in psychotic symptoms seen in the psychotic-induced rats. CE supplementation could reduce MDA expression in the hippocampus. This suggests that there was an optimal significance of cinnamon supplementation in reducing oxidative stress from the hippocampus. CONCLUSION: CE was effective in improving psychotic symptoms in lir-psychotic rats through regulation of oxidative stress in neuronal cells. © 2021 Rachmat Hidayat, Patricia Wulandari, Carla Raymondalexas Marchira, Budi Pratiti.