Purpose. Rosmarinus officinalis, traditionally known as rosemary, has been widely used in traditional medicines and has long been known as the herb of remembrance. However, few studies have investigated the effects of non-volatile components of rosemary on central nervous system function. Methods. Fractionation of R. officinalis led to the isolation of salvigenin, rosmanol and cirsimaritin, which were investigated in mouse models of acute toxicity, antinociception (tail immersion and hot plate tests), depression (tail suspension and forced swim tests) and anxiety (elevated plus maze and light/dark box paradigms). Results. Rosmanol, cirsimaritin and salvigenin were not found to exhibit any signs of acute toxicity (50-200 mg/kg), but elicited antinociceptive, antidepressant and anxiolytic activities. Conclusion. Rosmanol, cirsimaritin and salvigenin, all previously shown to have biphasic modulation of GABAA receptors, demonstrated CNS activity in mouse models of antinociception, antidepressant and anxiolysis. The anxiolytic activity of all three compounds was not ameliorated by flumazenil, but was inhibited by pentylenetetrazol, suggesting a mode of action via GABAA receptors at a site other than the high affinity benzodiazepine binding site. This article is open to POST-PUBLICATION REVIEW. Registered readers (see “For Readers”) may comment by clicking on ABSTRACT on the issue’s contents page.

Artemisia indica, also known as “Mugwort,” has been widely used in traditional medicines. However, few studies have investigated the effects of nonvolatile components of Artemisia indica on central nervous system's function. Fractionation of Artemisia indica led to the isolation of carnosol, ursolic acid, and oleanolic acid which were evaluated for their effects on GABA-A receptors in electrophysiological studies in Xenopus oocytes and were subsequently investigated in mouse models of acute toxicity, convulsions (pentylenetetrazole induced seizures), depression (tail suspension and forced swim tests), and anxiety (elevated plus maze and light/dark box paradigms). Carnosol, ursolic acid, and oleanolic acid were found to be positive modulators of α1β2γ2L GABA-A receptors and the modulation was antagonized by flumazenil. Carnosol, ursolic acid, and oleanolic acid were found to be devoid of any signs of acute toxicity (50–200 mg/kg) but elicited anticonvulsant, antidepressant, and anxiolytic activities. Thus carnosol, ursolic acid, and oleanolic acid demonstrated CNS activity in mouse models of anticonvulsant, antidepressant, and anxiolysis. The anxiolytic activity of all three compounds was ameliorated by flumazenil suggesting a mode of action via the benzodiazepine binding site of GABA-A receptors.

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Background:The reporting of the medicinal plants and their traditional uses is important in order to prevent this knowledge from being lost. The aims of this study were to collect information concerning the traditional use of medicinal plants in the region of Tafila; identify the most important medicinal plants; determine the relative importance of the species surveyed; and calculate the informant consensus factor (Fic) in relation to medicinal plant use.Materials and Methods:Data on the traditional medicinal uses of local plants were collected using qualitative tools. The informant consensus factor (Fic) for the category of aliments and the use value (UV) of the plant species were calculated.Results and Conclusions:The survey revealed that 41 plant species are still in use in Tafila for the treatments of various diseases. Problems of the digestive system had the highest Fic values, while Allium cepa L. and Matricaria aurea (Loefl.) Sch. Bip. scored the highest UV.SUMMARY The medicinal plants used by local people of the Tafila area of Jordan their traditional uses were investigated. forty one plant species are still in use in Tafila for the traditional treatment of various diseases. The preservation of this knowledge is important not only for maintaining cultural and traditional resources but also as a resource for the future identification of leads for drug development. The use of Fic and the UV to identify plant species that are consistently used in the treatment of specific ailments assists in narrowing down the search for new effective plant-derived medicines and in validating the use of traditional medicines. Data on the traditional medicinal uses of local plants was collected using qualitative tools. The informant consensus factor (Fic) for category of aliments and the use value (UV) of the plant species were calculated. in the Tafila region, the Fic values are relatively low, indicating a low level of shared knowledge and that a number of different species are used to treat similar disorders. This may be a result of the great diversity of vegetation types found across the Tafila region, with the specific plant chosen being dependent on the species most readily available in the different vegetation zones. Interestingly, however, the UVs calculated for a number of species in the Tafila region are relatively high, compared with those recorded in other areas of Jordan. These high UVs indicate that despite the diversity of vegetation types across the Tafila region, a number of plants are highly valued for medicinal use throughout the whole region. This study contributes to the body of knowledge about the use of plants in traditional medicine, helping to document and maintain the knowledge that has been traditionally passed directly from person to person. The preservation of this knowledge is important not only for maintaining cultural and traditional resources but also as a resource for the future identification of leads for drug development. Problems of the digestive system had the highest Fic values, while Al...