Construction of a Forced Swim Test Apparatus and Investigation of the Behavioral Effects of Beverages Consumption in Wistar Rats

The consumption of different beverages and their effects on behavior are of significant interest in both human and animal models. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different beverage types on endurance and stress-related behavior in Wistar rats using the Forced Swim Test (FST). Twenty-five adult male and Twenty-five adult female Wistar albino rats were randomly assigned to five groups (5 rats per group). Group I (Control) received 1 ml of normal saline, Group II (Ethanol) received 5% ethanol, Group III (Beer) received Goldberg beer (5% ethanol), Group IV (Spirit) received 40% Lord Dry Gin, and Group V (Red Wine) received 14% Veleta red wine, along with standard pellets and water. All treatments were administered for 28 days. Weekly weight measurements were taken, and the Forced Swim Test was conducted to assess endurance, anxiety-like behavior, and overall stress responses. The results indicated varying effects of alcohol types on endurance and behavioral responses. Ethanol, beer, and red wine groups showed an increase in stress-related behaviors, with reduced endurance times compared to the control group. The Spirit group exhibited the highest toxicity, leading to fatalities, underscoring the risk of high-alcohol-content beverages. (Pure Alcohol (9)> Spirit (4)> Red Wine (3)> Goldberg (2)> Normal Saline (5)).These findings suggest that different alcohols, especially those with higher ethanol content, can impact both physical endurance and anxiety-like behavior, with implications for public health and behavioral research.