Inhibition of drug induced Parkinsonism by chronic supplementation of quercetin in haloperidol-treated wistars.

Haloperidol is a neuroleptic medication that is used to treat a wide range of neuropsychiatric conditions. It has been shown to produce medicinal effects against hyperactivity, agitation and mania, as well as schizophrenia. Long-term usage of haloperidol raises the risk of acquiring a neurological condition like Parkinson's disease. Haloperidol causes drug-induced Parkinsonism (DIP) by blocking central dopamine receptors and causing extrapyramidal symptoms during long-term treatment. Quercetin has been shown to reduce the loss of striatal neurons, which may enhance motor capabilities and protect against agents that cause the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). As a result, present study intended to evaluate the efficacy of quercetin on haloperidol-related motor abnormalities. To develop behavioral impairments, rats (n=24) randomly divided to control and haloperidol group for four weeks. The animals were split into four groups after four weeks: Control, quercetin, haloperidol and haloperidol + quercetin. Animals were administered haloperidol i.p injections of 5mg/kg and quercetin (100mg/kg) orally for 21 days. The treatment of haloperidol-treated rats with quercetin was successful in reversing the haloperidol alterations. It decreased animal food intake and alleviated anxiogenic behavior. The chronic treatment of quercetin further reduced the movement abnormalities in animal model of drug induced pseudo-Parkinson.