ABSTRACT
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Petiveria alliacea L. (tipi) a shrub from Phytolaccaceae family is popularly used in folk medicine for treating a wide variety of disorders in South and Central America. AIM OF THE STUDY: To investigate the neuropharmacological properties on experimental animals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The acetate (FA), hexanic (FH), hydroalcoholic (FHA) and precipitated hydroalcoholic (FHAppt) fractions from the root of tipi were studied to investigate its pharmacological properties in the classical behavioral models (open-field, elevated plus maze-EPM, rotarod, barbiturate-induced sleeping time, forced swimming and pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced convulsions tests) using mice. These fractions were administered intraperitoneally and orally to female mice at single doses of 100 and 200mg/kg. RESULTS: All these fractions decreased the locomotor activity, rearing and grooming in the open-field test, suggesting a possible central depressant action. No significant effect was evident on motor coordination of the animals in the rotarod test. On EPM, all the fractions of tipi presented a significant reduction on the time of permanence in the open arms, indicating an absence of anxiolytic-like effect. In addition, the fractions increased the immobility time in the forced swimming test and potentiated pentobarbital-induced sleeping time in mice, confirmed a probable sedative and central depressant effect. Furthermore, the fractions increased the latency to the first convulsion and the lethal time of the PTZ-induced convulsions test in the animals, confirmed its popular use as anticonvulsant. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the fractions of P. alliacea L. contains biologically active substance(s) that might be acting in the CNS and have significant depressant and anticonvulsant potentials, supporting folk medicine use of this plant.
Subject(s)
Anticonvulsants/pharmacology , Behavior, Animal/drug effects , Phytolaccaceae/chemistry , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Administration, Oral , Animals , Anticonvulsants/administration & dosage , Anticonvulsants/isolation & purification , Central America , Central Nervous System Depressants/administration & dosage , Central Nervous System Depressants/isolation & purification , Central Nervous System Depressants/pharmacology , Disease Models, Animal , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Female , Injections, Intraperitoneal , Medicine, Traditional , Mice , Motor Activity/drug effects , Plant Extracts/administration & dosage , Plant Roots , South AmericaABSTRACT
The work studied behavioral and neurochemical alterations in 21-day-old pups, from both sexes (26 g on average) born from female Wistar rats administered daily with ethanol (0.5 or 4.0 g/kg, p.o.), for 30 days before mating, and throughout their gestational period. Ethanol administration continued from delivery up to weaning. The open field, elevated plus maze and forced swimming tests were used to evaluate effects of ethanol on locomotion, anxiety and depression, respectively. Binding assays were used to identify dopaminergic (D1- and D2-like) and muscarinic (M1 plus M2) receptors. Results of the plus maze test indicated significant and dose-dependent increases in the number of entrances in the open arms and in the time of permanence in the open arms, in the prenatally ethanol-exposed offspring, as compared to controls, indicating an anxiolytic effect. In the open field test, this group presented decreases in spontaneous locomotor activity as well as in the occurrences of rearing and grooming. Offspring also showed dose-dependent increases in their immobility time in the forced swimming test, characterizing despair behavior. Decreases in the hippocampal (D2: 32%; D1: 25%) and striatal (D2: 30%; D1: 52%) dopaminergic binding were detected in ethanol-exposed offspring. On the other hand, significant increases were observed in muscarinic binding in the hippocampus (40%) as well as in the striatum (42%). This study shows evidence that in utero ethanol exposure produces a long-lasting effect on development and pharmacological characteristics of brain systems that may have important implications in behavioral and neurochemical responsiveness occurring in adulthood.
