Talbinah (Barley Porridge): neurotransmitters modulatory effect and antidepressant-like action in experimentally depressed rats.

OBJECTIVE: Talbinah is a traditional barley porridge used as food and brain tonic by Arabs to alleviate depression and reduce stress. It is a food product with the high potentiality to be used as a functional food. The present study was designed to explore the antidepressant-like effects of Talbinah (Barley porridge).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-two adult rats were assigned into four groups: negative control group (normal environment), stress-model group, Prozac-treated stress group, and Talbinah treated stress group. The last three groups were exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress for three weeks. Urine samples were collected at days 0, 21 (after stress induction), 36 (15 days after stress induction), and 51 (one month after stress induction) and were investigated for serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine.

RESULTS: Following the establishment of the CUMS protocol, urine serotonin levels decreased with increased levels of dopamine and noradrenaline at 21 days (p<0.001). Talbinah substantially restored all the above parameters, indicating an antidepressant-like effect, which might have been attributed to the modulation of monoaminergic pathways and the possible amelioration of oxidative stress.

CONCLUSIONS: These results provide important pharmacological insights into the therapeutic and protective effects of Talbinah against depression. Studies in the future should be directed towards investigating the mechanism underlying the antidepressant activity of these food products.