Abstract: It was therefore the aim of this study to find out whether long term consumption of cooked and uncooked
beans (cowpea) diet has effects on some neurobehavioral parameters such as anxiety and fear using Swiss white mice as
experimental animals, since cowpea contain serotonin and its precursor 5-Hydroxytryptophan which have
neurobehavioral effects. Forty (40) Swiss mice were randomly assigned into four groups. Control (group A) were fed
normal rodent chow, cooked beans (group B) received cooked beans diet (50% w/w), uncooked beans (group C) also
received uncooked beans diet (50% w/w), while another set of mice was placed on serotonin precursor (5-HTP)(group D)
diet (0.2mg/50g w/w) for thirty days. All the mice had access to clean drinking water. Anxiety and fear were investigated
alongside food and water intake and body weight change. Involvement of serotonin pathway was also investigated using
the set of mice administered serotonin precursor for comparison with the beans diet fed mice. The open field test was used
to assess anxiety &fear related behaviors. The results showed that the Centre square entry and Centre square duration
for the cooked and uncooked cowpea diet was statistically higher (Pwhile the grooming frequency for the cooked, uncooked and 5-HTP was significantly higher (P<0.05., P<0.001) compared
to control. Duration of grooming was also significantly higher (P<0.01) compare to control. The frequency of stretch
attend posture and defecation was lower in the test group (panxiety & fear. The administration of serotonin precursor diet (5-HTP) produced similar results as cooked or uncooked
beans, thus suggesting that serotonin may be involved in the action of beans on neurobehavioral parameters. In
conclusion, long term consumption of cowpea diet causes calmness and sedation. It is therefore likely that it causes sleep,
reduction of aggression and muscle tone. If the result of this finding is extrapolated to man, then, cowpea diet can be used
to ameliorate post-traumatic stress disorders.