Pharmacological Study of the Possible Antidepressant Activity of Whey Protein Isolate in Mice

Abstract

Abstract: Depression is a serious psychiatric disorder and a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Many synthetic antidepressant drugs show low response rates and even produce adverse side-effects. Nowadays new trends in the treatment of depression are directed towards the use of natural products with better response rates and fewer side-effects. Whey protein products have been used as functional foods with a number of health benefits. The present study aimed to evaluate the antidepressant-like effect of whey protein isolate in a chronic unpredictable stress model in mice. Main methods: depression-like behaviors were induced using the chronic unpredictable stress model (CUS) in mice; which depends on the subjection of the mice to different types of physical stressors for twenty four consecutive days. Whey protein isolate (WPI) (75, 150 and 300mg/kg bwt. p.o.) and fluoxetine (10mg/kg bwt. p.o.) were administered daily throughout the period of the investigation thirty minutes before exposure to the physical stressor. This method aimed to evaluate the ability of WPI to prevent the incidence of depression-like behaviors compared to fluoxetine. Key findings: Results revealed that WPI (300 mg/kg) showed a significant increase in the monoamines and the glutamate brain levels and inhibited GABA release. The results were comparable to those of fluoxetine. The antioxidant potential of WPI could contribute, in part, in ameliorating the depressive symptoms. Significance: Further investigations are recommended to study the mechanism of action of WPI on brain and evaluate its applicability to be used as an antidepressant drug