Neuropharmacological properties of Launaea resedifolia

Abstract

RESUMO: "Propriedades neurofarmacológicas de Launaea resedifolia". Launaea resedifolia (L.) Kuntze (família: Asteraceae), sinônimo Scorzonera resedifolia L., é uma planta medicinal utilizada na medicina popular da Líbia para o tratamento de problemas hepáticos. Todavia, não há relato de qualquer avaliação farmacológica de L. resedifolia disponível na literatura. Neste estudo, o potencial neurofarmacológico do extrato etanólico desta planta foi analisado em modelos animais. Os extratos de Launaea resedifolia exibiram um efeito inibitório na atividade locomotora de camundongos no teste de campo aberto, um efeito anti-nociceptivo pelo aumento do tempo de reação em placa quente no teste da placa quente e uma atividade anti-infl amatória no edema de pata induzido por carragenina. Além disso, um efeito sedativo foi evidente pela diminuição no início do tempo de sono barbitúrico e aumento na duração do tempo de sono barbitúrico em ratos. O extrato etanólico também demonstrou uma diminuição signifi cativa na taxa de mortalidade induzida por picrotoxina em aproximadamente 66% e uma redução considerável no peso corporal de camundongos comparada aos grupos controle. Unitermos: Launaea resedifolia, Asteraceae, propriedade neurofarmacológica.ABSTRACT: Launaea resedifolia (L.) Kuntze (family: Asteraceae), synonym Scorzonera resedifolia L., is a medicinal plant used in the Libyan folkloric medicine mainly for the treatment of hepatic pains. However, there is no report on any pharmacological evaluation of L. resedifolia available to date. In this study, the neuropharmacological potential of the ethanol extract of this plant has been assessed in animal models. Launaea resedifolia extracts exhibited an inhibitory effect on the locomotor activity of mice in the open fi eld test, an anti-nociceptive effect by increasing the hot plate reaction time in the hot plate test, and an anti-infl ammatory activity in the carrageenaninduced paw oedema. Furthermore, a sedative effect was evident from the decrease in the onset of pentobarbitone sleeping time and increase in the duration of pentobarbitone sleeping time rats. The ethanol extract also demonstrated a signifi cant decrease in the mortality rate induced by picrotoxin by about 66%, and a considerable reduction in the body weight of mice compared to the control groups.

Turkish Scorzonera Species Extracts Attenuate Cytokine Secretion via Inhibition of NF-κB Activation, Showing Anti-Inflammatory Effect in Vitro

“…From the above mentioned, we suggested that chlorogenic acid (8), derivatives of dicaffeoyl-quinic acid (6 and 7), and flavonoids, especially quercetin-3-O-β-D-glucoside (1) and hyperoside (2) could be responsible for the anti-inflammatory activity of tested extracts. Therefore, further experiments were carried out with phenolic compounds previously obtained from Scorzonera species (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8), to assay the inhibition of TNF-α and IL-1β production in THP-1 cells, and later also with triterpenes 9-16, because taraxasterol acetate (9) isolated from S. latifolia showed previously analgesic activity in vivo in writhing and tail-flick tests [21] and also other triterpenoid substances like lupeol derivatives (10 and 11), β-sitosterol (12) and other triterpenes (13)(14)(15)(16) could potentially demonstrate anti-phlogistic effect [38,39]. Unfortunately, only weak activity of compounds tested was observed, and no statistically significant activity has been observed in comparison with standard used (prednisone, Supplementary Materials, Figure S1).…”

“…Plants from the genus Scorzonera, belonging to Asteraceae family, are used as food as well as medicinal plants not only in Turkey, but also in some other European countries [12][13][14]. Different species of Scorzonera have been used in European traditional medicine against pulmonary diseases, colds, for the treatment of wounds as well as for their stomachic, diuretic, galactagogue, antipyretic, and appetizing effects [12,13,15]; in Mongolian traditional medicine for the treatment of diarrhea, lung edema, parasitic diseases, and fever caused by bacterial, and viral infections [13]; in Libyan folk medicine for the treatment of hepatic pains [16]; and in Chinese, as well as in Tibetan folk medicine against breast inflammation and abscess due to their antipyretic and anti-inflammatory activities [17]. Additionally, in Turkish folk medicine different species of this genus have been reported to be used in treatment of rheumatism, pain, wound healing, as well as arteriosclerosis, kidney diseases, hypertension, and diabetes [18,19].…”

Antinociceptive effect of citronellal in mice

“…It is established that the potentiation of sleep time induced by pentobarbital must be a sedative or hypnotic action that is attributed to the involvement of central mechanisms in the regulation of sleep (N'Gouemo et al, 1994;Auzi et al, 2007) and involves potentiation of the -aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic system (Steinbach & Akk, 2001;Sivam et al, 2004).…”

Bioactivity of Excoecaria agallocha

“…Previous phytochemical studies on E. agallocha revealed the presence of diterpenoids (ISI database, 2008;Ji-Dong et al, 2007;Li et al, 2007;Wang et al, 2006Kang et al, 2005), triterpenoids (Zou et al, 2006), fl avonoid (Konishi et al, 2003) and phorbole esters (Ericson et al, 1995). As part of our continuing phytochemical and bioactivity studies on Bangladeshi medicinal plants and also in other parts of the world (Alam et al, 2008a,b;Ali et al, 2008;Datta et al, 2007Datta et al, , 2004Saha et al, 2007;Uddin et al, 2007aUddin et al, -c, 2006aUddin et al, ,b, 2005Uddin et al, , 2004Rouf et al, 2006;Haque et al, 2004;Rahman et al, 2004;Delazar et al, 2006;Shoeb et al, 2007;Auzi et al, 2007;Zamani et al, 2007;Razavi et al, 2008), we now report on the neuropharmacological and antibacterial activities, and acute toxicty of the ethanol extract of the bark of E. agallocha in laboratory rodents as well as brine shrimp toxicity.…”