NEUROBEHAVIORAL EFFECT OF ETHANOL LEAF EXTRACT OF CHROMOLAENA ODORATA AGAINST ACUTE KETAMINE-INDUCED COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT IN MURINE MODELS OF SCHIZOPHRENIA

Schizophrenia is a neurological disorder reportedly linked to oxidative imbalance and associated behavioral disturbances.Chromolaena odorata is one of the commonly used plants in Nigeria for the management of psychiatry disorder.This study aimed to evaluate the extract in ketamine-induced cognitive impairment using mice. The effect of ethanol leaf extract of Chromolaena odorata at doses 500, 1000, and 1500 mg/kg on neurobehavioral deficits was assessed in mice using various behavioral paradigms: Y-maze, novel object recognition, forced swim test, open field test, and catalepsy test. C. odorata significantly increased exploration time of the novel object and the percentage recognition index during the retention phase of the Novel Object Recognition Test(p < 0.05). In the Y-maze test, the extract significantly increased (p < 0.05) both the number of actual alternations and the percentage of spontaneous alternations. It also significantly decreased (p < 0.05) the duration of immobility in the forced swim test. The results of open field test revealed a significant decreased (p < 0.05) in the number of crossings in both the central and peripheral squares. Additionally, the extract did not prolong the duration of catalepsy induced by haloperidol in the glass bar test.C. odorata extract contains phytochemicals that may improve cognitive function and reduce negative symptoms in individuals with schizophrenia.These findings suggest that C. odorata probably exerts its antipsychotic like activity through a neuroprotective compensatory mechanism of action, and as such, it could be relevant in the management of schizophrenia.