Source Paper
Elucidating the Mechanism of the Liqi Yangyin Formula in Treating Depression–Constipation Comorbidity: An Integrative Approach Using Network Pharmacology and Experimental Validation
Xu L, Ong SS, Deng X, Qian Y, Tang Z et al.
Pharmaceuticals (Basel) • 2026
Sucrose Preference Test (SPT)
Objective: To assess anhedonia in mice as a behavioral measure of depression-like behavior
This is a Sucrose Preference Test (SPT) protocol using mice as the model organism. The procedure involves 6 procedural steps, 3 materials. Extracted from a 2026 paper published in Pharmaceuticals (Basel).
Model and subjects
mice • C57BL/6 • male • Seven-week-old • 8
Study window
~78 hours hands-on
Core workflow
Initial habituation with sucrose • Choice habituation • Pre-test deprivation
Primary readouts
- Sucrose preference percentage
Key equipment and reagents
Use this page as an execution guide, then fall back to the source paper whenever you need exact exclusions, dosing details, or assay-specific caveats.
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Protocol Steps
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Initial habituation with sucrose
Provide mice with two bottles containing 1% sucrose solution for 24 hours
View evidence from paper
“mice were first given two bottles containing 1% ( w / v ) sucrose for 24 h”
Choice habituation
Provide one bottle of 1% sucrose and one bottle of water for 24 hours with random bottle position alternation
View evidence from paper
“followed by 24 h with one bottle of 1% sucrose and one bottle of water; bottle positions were alternated randomly”
Pre-test deprivation
Deprive mice of food and water for 24 hours before formal testing
View evidence from paper
“After 24 h of food and water deprivation”
Formal test setup
Provide one bottle of 1% sucrose and one bottle of water, exchanging bottle positions every 6 hours
View evidence from paper
“the formal test was conducted by providing one bottle of 1% sucrose and one bottle of water, with positions exchanged every 6 h”
Consumption measurement
Record consumption of sucrose (C1) and water (C2) for each mouse over a 12-hour period
View evidence from paper
“Over a 12 h period, consumption of sucrose (C1) and water (C2) was recorded for each mouse”
Calculate sucrose preference
Calculate sucrose preference percentage using the formula: sucrose preference = C1/(C1 + C2) × 100
View evidence from paper
“Sucrose preference (%) was calculated as follows: sucrose preference = C1/(C1 + C2) × 100”