Background: Studies have shown that central cholinergic system can be effective on animal memory in objects emplacement, but there were no sufficient information about the consumption of effective substances on this system during pregnancy in novel object recognition in compared to old object and its effect on the fetus. The aim of this study is investigation of lecithin (as a source of choline) effect during pregnancy and lactation on object recognition behavior as a marker of cognitive memory in male and female rat offspring.

Materials and Methods: In the present experimental study, female rats with an average weight of 160±10 g were gavaged of pregnancy (22 days) until 21 days after the parturition by different amounts of lecithin or its vehicle. The groups were: control (without receiving any medications), vehicle and receiving lecithin with amounts 120 and 240 mg/kg. After gender segregation, at 36 days of birth offspring were trained to evaluate the recognition memory. The number of offspring in each group for each sex was 7.

Results: Results showed that consumption of lecithin 240mg/kg in female offspring was lead to increase in percentage of time spent in near of novel object in compared with vehicle group (p<0.05). While in other groups there was no difference between offspring.

Conclusion: Lecithin consumption during mother pregnancy and lactating lead to change in precognitive memory of female offspring and also sex can cause different effects of this compound in the body of an animal.