Abstract
Tessaria absinthioides (Hook. & Arn.) DC. (Asteraceae) decoction (DTa) is used to treat hypercholesterolemia, diabetes and digestive disorders in the traditional medicine of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Uruguay. The present study evaluated the effects of DTa on glucose metabolism and behavior and compared them with metformin under chronic sucrose exposure and normal conditions. Male Sprague-Dawley rats received water, sucrose, DTa (5 or 10% w/v) with or without sucrose, or metformin (12.5 or 25 mg/kg) under water- or sucrose-fed conditions for 40 days, according to the experimental design. Glucose homeostasis was assessed by fasting glycemia and a glucose tolerance test (GTT), while behavior was evaluated using the open field, elevated plus maze (EPM), and novel object location tests. Under sucrose-fed conditions, DTa was associated with lower fasting glycemia, while both DTa and metformin improved GTT, as evidenced by reduced iAUC values. Behavioral analyses revealed modulation of exploratory and risk-assessment behavior by DTa, particularly in the EPM, where DTa10 increased total distance traveled and head-dip behavior under sucrose-fed conditions. Under normal conditions, DTa10 was associated with lower fasting glucose levels without significant changes in GTT, whereas behavioral effects were mainly restricted to specific ethological parameters. No effects were detected on spatial recognition memory under either condition. In DTa, fifty-one compounds were detected by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled to photodiode array and Orbitrap mass spectrometry (UHPLC-PDA-OT-MS/MS), of which forty-one were identified, including several caffeoylquinic acids, fatty acids, and characteristic eudesmane sesquiterpenoids. Several of these compounds have been previously associated with metabolic and neurobehavioral effects, providing further support for the pharmacological potential of DTa. Taken together, these findings highlight T. absinthioides as a promising source of bioactive phytocompounds with the potential to modulate glucose homeostasis and behavioral responses.