Abstract
This study aimed to determine the effects of exposure to sericin on serum GH, IGF-1 and antioxidant levels following parturition in mice. Forty pregnant female NMRI mice were allocated into four groups. In the control group, pregnant mice were given water as a placebo, whereas pregnant female mice in groups 2-4 were orally administered sericin (112.5, 225, and 450 mg/kg) on different days of gestation (5, 8, 11, 14, and 17). Following parturition, the open field test (OFT), forced swimming test (FST), tail suspension test (TST) and open field tests were used to evaluate depressive-like and antidepressant activity of sericin. At the end of the study, serum growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and total antioxidant status (TAS) levels were determined. According to the results, sericin administration during pregnancy decreased immobility time in FST and TST, and increased the number of crosses in the OFT compared to the control group (P<0.05). Exposure to sericin significantly decreased serum MDA, while it increased SOD, GPx, and TAS levels compared with the control group (P<0.05). Also, sericin exposure during gestation significantly increased serum GH and IGF-1 levels compared to the control group (P<0.05). These results suggested pre-partum administration of sericin has antidepressant effect in postpartum mice.