Implications of maternal nutrient deficiency in rat offspring: a cognitive and behavioral study

Aim: Maternal nutritional insufficiency during pregnancy is a major public health concern associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in offspring. This study investigated the effects of global maternal nutrient restriction before and/or during gestation on cognitive and behavioral performance in rat offspring and evaluated the potential for recovery following postnatal dietary normalization. Methods: Female Wistar rats were assigned to either a control diet (AIN-93G) or a 50% global nutrient-restricted diet. Nutrient-restricted groups received dietary restriction before pregnancy alone (RD-P) or before and throughout gestation (RD-W), followed by a standard diet after birth or weaning. Offspring were assessed at postnatal days 35–40 using the Y-maze spontaneous alternation test for working memory, the Open Field Test for locomotor activity, and the Elevated Plus Maze (EPM) for anxiety-like behavior. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA with Dunnett’s post hoc test (p 0.05), indicating preserved working memory. However, offspring from restricted groups exhibited significantly greater time spent in EPM open arms (p < 0.001), suggesting reduced anxiety-like behavior, with the strongest effect observed in the RD-W group. Increased locomotor activity was also detected in nutrient-restricted offspring during the Open Field Test (p = 0.0118). Gestational maternal food intake showed weak negative correlations with EPM open-arm duration (r = −0.34, p = 0.06) and locomotor activity (r = −0.28, p = 0.12). Conclusions: Maternal global nutrient restriction induces persistent, domain-specific behavioral alterations in offspring. While postnatal dietary normalization may partially ameliorate deficits in activity-related behaviors, reduced anxiety-like behavior persists into adolescence. These findings emphasize the critical role of adequate maternal nutrition in shaping offspring neurodevelopment and behavioral health, highlighting the importance of nutritional interventions during the preconceptional and gestational periods.