A comparative study of the neurotoxic effects of Action Bitters (an alcoholic beverage) and neutral-flavoured alcohol on the rat prefrontal cortex

Introduction. Action Bitters (AB) is an alcoholic polyherbal preparation widely consumed in Nigeria because of the belief that it purportedly boosts energy and overall well-being. Despite its usage, there is little information on its effect on the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and cognitive functions. Aim. To examine the effects of AB and neutral-flavoured alcohol (NFA) on the PFC young adult male rats in a four-day binge alcohol exposure model. Materials and methods. In this study, 15 rats were randomly divided into three groups of five rats each. The 1st group, control rats, were administered 5 g/kg of a diluted nutritionally complete meal (NCM, 50% v/v); the 2nd group of rats received 5 g/kg of AB in NCM, and the last, 3d group – 5 g/kg of NFA in NCM. The novel object recognition and T-maze tests were employed to investigate the effect of both substances on cognitive functions. To assess potential neurodegenerative alterations, histological examinations were performed on PFC samples. Results. A lower exploration time for novel objects, percentage alternation, novel object discrimination indexes were revealed. The histological findings showed neurodegeneration in the PFC of AB and NFA feed rats. Conclusion. Our study indicated that both substances induced substantial cognitive impairment and neurodegeneration, with alcohol exhibiting a more pronounced effect. However, the findings suggested that the dangers of binge drinking may be also present in this herbal alcoholic product consumption.