Impact of maternal energy drink consumption during gestation and lactation on brain health in neonatal Wistar albino rats

Energy drinks are rapidly gaining prominence in the global beverage industry, with projected sales reaching $60 billion within the next five years. These beverages often contain high levels of caffeine and the amino acid taurine, among other ingredients. The increasing consumption of energy drinks by children has sparked concerns regarding potential caffeine toxicity. In the present study, an energy drink was administrated at doses of 5 ml/Kg or 10 ml/Kg body weight. The comet assay demonstrated a significant elevation in DNA damage, evidenced by increased % DNA in tail and olive tail moment in the energy drink groups. Additionally, there were notable elevation in malondialdehyde levels as an oxidative stress marker, while reduction in superoxide dismutase activity and glutathione levels as antioxidant markers in energy drink groups. Furthermore, acetylcholinesterase activity and dopamine levels were significantly decrease in the energy drink groups compared to the control group. The high-dose groups exhibited a more pronounced effect than the low-dose groups, indicating a dose-dependent adverse effect.