Context Coriandrum sativum L. (Apiaceae) (coriander) is an herb grown throughout the world as a culinary, medicinal or essential crop. In traditional medicine, it is used for the relief of anxiety and insomnia. Systemic hydro-alcoholic and aqueous extract from aerial parts and seeds had anxiolytic and sedative action in rodents, but little is known about its central effect in chicks. Objective To study the effects of intracerebroventricular administration of essential oil from coriander seeds and its major component linalool on locomotor activity and emotionality of neonatal chicks. Materials and methods The chemical composition of coriander essential oil was determined by a gas-chromatographic analysis (480% linalool). Behavioural effects of central administration of coriander oil and linalool (both at doses of 0.86, 8.6 and 86 mg/chick) versus saline and a sedative diazepam dose (17.5 mg/chick, standard drug) in an open field test for 10 min were observed. Results Doses of 8.6 and 86 mg from coriander oil and linalool significantly decreased (p50.05) squares crossed number, attempted escapes, defecation number and distress calls, and significantly increased (p50.05) the sleeping posture on an open field compared with saline and were similar to the diazepam group. Discussion and conclusion The results indicate that intracerebroventricular injection of essential oil from Coriandrum sativum seeds induced a sedative effect at 8.6 and 86 mg doses. This effect may be due to monoterpene linalool, which also induced a similar sedative effect, and, therefore, could be considered as a potential therapeutic agent similar to diazepam.
ARTICLE HISTORY
Light pollution or artificial lighting at night (ALAN) is an emerging threat to biodiversity that can disrupt physiological processes and behaviors. Because ALAN stressful effects are little studied in diurnal amphibian species, we investigated if chronic ALAN exposure affects the leukocyte profile, body condition, and blood cell sizes of a diurnal toad. We hand‐captured male toads of Melanophryniscus rubriventris in Angosto de Jaire (Jujuy, Argentina). We prepared blood smears from three groups of toads: “field” (toads processed in the field immediately after capture), “natural light” (toads kept in the laboratory under captivity with natural photoperiod), and “constant light” (toads kept in the laboratory under captivity with constant photoperiod/ALAN). We significantly observed higher neutrophil proportions and neutrophils to lymphocytes ratio in toads under constant light treatment. In addition, we observed significantly better body condition and higher erythrocyte size in field toads compared with captive toads. In summary, ALAN can trigger a leukocyte response to stress in males of the diurnal toad
M. rubriventris. In addition, captivity can affect the body condition and erythrocyte size of these toads.
Competition among males can be a decisive factor for successful mating in anuran explosive breeders with a male-biased population sex ratio. The Yungas Red-belly Toad (Melanophryniscus rubriventris (Vellard, 1947)) is an explosive breeder where males exhibit a classic scramble competition. We studied the body size, body condition, and stress-induced leukocyte response of M. rubriventris males under natural scenarios of scramble competition. We hand-captured adult males (categorised as single, in pairs, or in mating balls) and determined their body mass and length, body condition, and their leukocyte profile. We found that males in pairs had significantly higher body mass than single males and those in mating balls. We found the highest percentage of individuals with better body condition within the paired males who showed significantly higher body condition index value than singles or those in mating balls. Amplectant males (those collected in pairs or in mating balls) had a significantly lower proportion of lymphocytes and higher neutrophil–lymphocyte ratios than singles. Amplectant males showed significantly higher proportions of neutrophils or eosinophils than singles. Our results suggest that M. rubriventris males with better body condition can be more successful in acquiring mates, although scramble competition among males can trigger a stress response.
La grelina es principalmente un péptido secretado principalmente en el estómago que actúa sobre el sistema nervioso central para regular el metabolismo energético y las respuestas al estrés. En el pollo disminuye la ingesta de alimentos y se ha sugerido que la hormona liberadora de corticotropina podría mediar esta respuesta. En el presente estudio se estudia si la anorexia inducida por grelina intra-mesopallium podría involucrar la activación del eje hipotalámico pituitario adrenal en pollos de 4-6 días de edad. Los resultados demuestran que la grelina, administrada en el mesopallium intermedio, disminuyó la ingesta de alimentos y aumentó los niveles plasmáticos de corticosterona. Además, se observó una relación negativa significativa entre ambas respuestas, donde mayores concentraciones de corticosterona estuvieron asociadas a una menor ingesta de alimentos. Sin embargo, no se observaron cambios significativos en los niveles plasmáticos de la hormona adrenocorticótropa inducidos por la grelina intra-mesopallium. Por lo tanto, esta activación suprarrenal podría desempeñar un papel mediador en el efecto anorexigénico de la grelina central en pollos de engorde. Además, no puede descartarse que esta área del prosencéfalo y el eje hipotalámico pituitario adrenal puedan constituir una red cerebral para el control de la alimentación de pollos parrilleros.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.