International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences | November 2021 | Vol 9 | Issue 11 Page 3269 International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences Eduviere AT et al. Int J Res Med Sci. 2021 Nov;9(11):3269-3276 www.msjonline.org pISSN 2320-6071 | eISSN 2320-6012 Original Research Article Adaptogenic potential of Centella lujica supplement in sleep deprived mice Anthony T. Eduviere 1 *, Prosper E. Awhin 2 , Kesiena E. Edje 1 , Lily O. Otomewo 1 , Olusegun A. Adeoluwa 3 , Jennifer E. Winter 1 INTRODUCTION The disruptive role of insufficient sleep on an individual’s quality of life cannot be overemphasized. 1 In certain jobs, such as health care, security and transportation, people face sleep restriction which is considered a form of stress. Since studies have reported the antioxidative role of sleep, stressful conditions such as sleep deprivation have been associated with a simultaneous build-up of oxidative stress. 2 Reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced in the cell during normal cellular metabolism can alter the composition and probably damage biomolecules such as nucleic acids, lipids and proteins. 3 Fortunately, cells have developed several antioxidant defence mechanisms (in the event where their intrinsic ROS scavenging ability is low) to mitigate the harmful effect of reactive species and their by- products. Any disturbance to the balance between the level of antioxidants and the ROS at the cellular level results in a physiological situation called oxidative stress. 1 Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 2 Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Delta State University, Abraka, Delta State, Nigeria 3 Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Basic Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Afe Babalola University Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria Received: 23 August 2021 Revised: 16 September 2021 Accepted: 11 October 2021 *Correspondence: Dr. Anthony T. Eduviere, E-mail: tonyeduviere@yahoo.com Copyright: © the author(s), publisher and licensee Medip Academy. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. ABSTRACT Background: Stress, whether internal or external, has been shown to play a role in the accumulation of oxidative free radicals which leads to cellular modification of normal organ or body function. Centella lujica (C. lujica) is a commonly cultivated herb with therapeutic benefits in various studies. This study aims to evaluate its beneficial effect on the brain and liver of mice exposed to sleep deprivation-induced stress. Methods: Albino mice were treated with distilled water (control), C. lujica (50 and 100 mg/kg) or astaxanthin (50 mg/kg) for seven days. All groups except control were then subjected to three-days of sleep deprivation using the grid suspended over water model beginning from day 4 of treatment. Behavioural assessments followed by biochemical assays and histological analysis were carried out thereafter. Results: Sleep deprivation caused an increase in blood glucose and triglycerides levels but reduced high density lipoproteins. Brain pro-oxidant levels were increased with a concomitant decrease in antioxidants, recognition memory was diminished while depressive-like symptoms were enhanced and neuronal viability of hippocampal CA1 as well as prefrontal cortex cells was reduced in sleep-deprived mice. However, supplementation with C. lujica reversed these effects as significantly as astaxanthin. Conclusions: C. lujica possesses antioxidant property that makes it an effective adaptogen against stress induced responses in mice. Keywords: Stress, Centella lujica, Sleep deprivation, Adaptogenic, Oxidative stress DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20214408