ABSTRACT
Root bark of Nauclea latifolia Smith (Rubiaceae) was evaluated for its anticonvulsant, anxiolytic, and sedative activity in mice. Animal models (maximal electroshock-, pentylenetetrazol-, and strychnine-induced convulsions; N-methyl-D-aspartate-induced turning behavior; elevated plus maze; stress-induced hyperthermia; open field; and diazepam-induced sleep) were used. The decoction from the bark of the roots of N. latifolia strongly increased the total sleep time induced by diazepam. It also protected mice against maximal electroshock-, pentylenetetrazol-, and strychnine-induced seizures. In addition, turning behavior induced by N-methyl-D-aspartate was inhibited. N. latifolia antagonized, in a dose-dependent manner, stress-induced hyperthermia and reduced body temperature. In the elevated plus maze, N. latifolia increased the number of entries into, percentage of entries into, and percentage of time in open arms, and reduced rearing, head dipping, and percentage of time in closed arms. In the open field test, N. latifolia increased crossing and reduced rearing and defecation. It could be concluded that the decoction of N. latifolia, used in traditional medicine in Cameroon in the treatment of fever, malaria, insomnia, anxiety and epilepsy seemed to possess, sedative, anticonvulsant, anxiolytic and antipyretic properties in mice.
Subject(s)
Anti-Anxiety Agents/pharmacology , Anticonvulsants/pharmacology , Hypnotics and Sedatives/pharmacology , Rubiaceae/chemistry , Animals , Anxiety/psychology , Cameroon , Convulsants , Diazepam/pharmacology , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Electroshock , Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists/pharmacology , Fever/drug therapy , Fever/etiology , Male , Mice , Motor Activity/drug effects , N-Methylaspartate/pharmacology , Pentylenetetrazole , Plant Roots/chemistry , Seizures/prevention & control , Sleep/drug effects , Stress, Psychological/complications , Stress, Psychological/physiopathology , StrychnineABSTRACT
Cissus quadrangularis Linn grows in Savannah areas in Africa (Cameroon; Mali; Mauritania; Senegal; etc). In traditional medicine; the plant is used to treat anorexia; asthma; sickle cells; colds; pains; malaria; asthma and as an analgesic. In vivo animal models of epilepsy (maximal electroshock; n-methyl -d-aspartate; pentylenetetrazol; isonicotinic hydrazid acid and strychnine -induced convulsions or turning behavior) and insomnia (diazepam -induced sleep) were used. The aqueous extract of the stems of C. quadrangularis strongly increased the total sleep time induced by diazepam (50 mg/kg i.p.). It also protected mice against maximal electroshock; pentylenetetrazol; strychnine and n-methyl-d-aspartate-induced seizures or turning behavior and delayed the onset time of seizures induced by isonicotinic hydrazid acid. The results lead to the conclusion that the extract of C. quadrangularis possesses anticonvulsant and sedative properties in mice and could explain its use in traditional medicine in Africa; in the treatment of insomnia and epilepsy
