RESUMO
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the central pharmacological effect of the water and chloroform-extract compounds from C. chinese in mice.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The independent activity test and the hypnotic synergism test by sub-threshold hypnotic dosage of pentobarbital were employed to evaluate the central pharmacological effect of the extract-compounds, and the minimal neurotoxicity was evaluated by the rotorod test.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>the extract-compounds exhibited significant dose-related inhibition effect of the spontaneous motor activity in mice after intraperitoneal administration. And the two extract-compounds promoted the hypnotic effect by sub-threshold hypnotic dosage administration of pentobarbital, and produced ED50 value of 2.36 g kg (-1) and 0.75 g kg(-1), respectively. Also, both extract-compounds showed no neurotoxicity in the experiment.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The extract compounds from C. chinese showed inhibitional effect on CNS.</p>