Chronic treatment with Banisteriopsis caapi extract promotes motor dysfunction, anxiety and gene expression alterations in animals with selective Locus coeruleus (LC) lesion

The Locus coeruleus (LC) is the main structure responsible to produce norepinephrine (NE) in the central nervous system (CNS). The LC degeneration occurs in many neurodegenerative disorders, consequently, several pathways are affected, compromising the learning process and memory construction. Given that, the extract Banisteriopsis caapi - a brew constituted by β-carbolines harmine, harmaline, and tetrahydroharmine (that are monoamine oxidase inhibitors) can influence the NE metabolism. In addition, the extract is also associated with the modulation of inflammation and acts on the mechanisms that propagate the neuroinflammatory process.