[Anti-anxiety effect of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of salvia leriifolia benth. leaves in mice using elevated plus maze]

Salvia leriifolia [Lamiaceae] is indigenous to the east of Iran and some part of Afghanestan. It has many pharmacological effects such as antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, anti-ischemic, anti-hyperglycemic, hypnotic, muscle relexant, anti-peptic ulcer and anticonvulsant effects. In this research, the antianxiety effects of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of S. leriifolia Benth. leaves were studied using elevated plus maze. Nine groups of male mice were used, each of which contained 7-10 animals. Half an hour before anti-anxiety test, the aqueous or ethanolic extracts [100, 200 and 400 mg/kg], diazepam [1 mg/kg] and saline were injected intraperitoneally to mice. The aqueous and ethanolic extracts were dissolved in saline or tween 80, respectively. In anti-anxiety test, the number of entries into open and closed arms by animals was recorded. In motor coordination [Rotarod test] experiment, the extracts were injected 30 or 60 mm before the test and in locomotor activity [open field test] experiment, the extracts were injected 60 mm before test. In anti - anxiety test, among different doses of the aqueous or ethanolic extracts, only ethanolic extract [in dose of 100 and 200 mg/kg] significantly increased opened arms entrance [p<0.01] and all doses of the ethanolic and aqueous extracts declined closed arms entrance, dose dependently [p<0.001]. In Rotarod and open field tests all of doses significantly decreased mice locomotion activity and motor balance [p<0.001]. The ethanolic extract of S. leriifolia leaves extract showed anti-anxiety activity and declined locomotion activity and motor coordination in mice

Pharmacological study of anti-allergic activity of Syzygium cumini (L) Skeels

Myrtaceae is a plant family widely used in folk medicine and Syzygium and Eugenia are among the most important genera. We investigated the anti-allergic properties of an aqueous leaf extract of Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels (SC). HPLC analysis revealed that hydrolyzable tannins and flavonoids are the major components of the extract. Oral administration of SC (25-100 mg/kg) in Swiss mice (20-25 g; N = 7/group) inhibited paw edema induced by compound 48/80 (50 percent inhibition, 100 mg/kg; P <= 0.05) and, to a lesser extent, the allergic paw edema (23 percent inhibition, 100 mg/kg; P <= 0.05). SC treatment also inhibited the edema induced by histamine (58 percent inhibition; P <= 0.05) and 5-HT (52 percent inhibition; P <= 0.05) but had no effect on platelet-aggregating factor-induced paw edema. SC prevented mast cell degranulation and the consequent histamine release in Wistar rat (180-200 g; N = 7/group) peritoneal mast cells (50 percent inhibition, 1 æg/mL; P <= 0.05) induced by compound 48/80. Pre-treatment of BALB/c mice (18-20 g; N = 7/group) with 100 mg/kg of the extract significantly inhibited eosinophil accumulation in allergic pleurisy (from 7.662 ± 1.524 to 1.89 ± 0.336 x 10(6)/cavity; P <= 0.001). This effect was related to the inhibition of IL-5 (from 70.9 ± 25.2 to 12.05 ± 7.165 pg/mL) and CCL11/eotaxin levels (from 60.4 ± 8.54 to 32.8 ± 8.4 ng/mL) in pleural lavage fluid, using ELISA. These findings demonstrate an anti-allergic effect of SC, and indicate that its anti-edematogenic effect is due to the inhibition of mast cell degranulation and of histamine and serotonin effects, whereas the inhibition of eosinophil accumulation in the allergic pleurisy model is probably due to an impairment of CCL11/eotaxin and IL-5 production.