Use of medicinal plants by ambulatory patients in Puerto Rico

Hernández, Lesbia; Muñoz, Rafael Andrés Silva; Miro, Gladys; Martinez, Mirza; Silva-Parra, Juan; Chavez, Pedro I.

doi:10.1093/ajhp/41.10.2060

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…Ethnobotanical resources from Puerto Rico document the use of a tea made from the leaves of the Citrus aurantium tree as an anxiolytic remedy (Hernández et al, 1984 ; Alvarado-Guzmán et al, 2009 ) although there are is no scientific evidence documenting these properties. In experimental models of epilepsy, the essential oils from the peel of the fruit were able to increases seizure latency to pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) and maximal electroshock seizure in mice (Carvalho-Freitas and Costa, 2002 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Citrus aurantium increases seizure latency to PTZ induced seizures in zebrafish thru NMDA and mGluR's I and II

et al. 2015

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Epilepsy is a serious neurological condition and pharmacotherapy is not effective for all patients and causes serious adverse effects and pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions. Natural products and ethnobotanical resources can help develop new therapeutic options for conditions like epilepsy. In Puerto Rico, ethnobotanical resources highlight the anxiolytic properties of a tea like preparation made from the leaves of the Citrus aurantium tree or bitter orange. Studies performed with essential oils from the peel of the fruit have shown to increase seizure latency to pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) and maximal electroshock seizure in mice. We characterized the extract composition, and used a model of PTZ induces seizures in the zebrafish and a receptor-ligand binding assay to determine if this preparation has anticonvulsant properties and its mechanism of action. We determined that the aqueous extract made from the leaves of the C. aurantium tree contains hesperidin, neohesperidin, and neohesperidin dihydrochalcone. Using our zebrafish model, we determined that exposure to the C. aurantium 28 mg/mL extract in aquarium water increases seizure latency by 119% compared to controls. We ruled out a mechanism involving GABAA receptors using the selective antagonist gabazine. We used two approaches to study the role of glutamate in the mechanism of the C. aurantium extract. The ligand binding assay revealed C. aurantium extracts at concentrations of 0.42 to 5.6 mg/mL significantly reduced [3H]Glu binding indicating an interaction with glutamate receptors, in particular with NMDA receptors and mGluR II. This interaction was confirmed with our animal model using selective receptor antagonists and we identified an interaction with mGluR I, not observed in the ligand binding experiment. These study provide evidence of the anticonvulsant properties of the aqueous extract made from the leaves of the C. aurantium tree and a mechanism involving NMDA and mGluR's I and II.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Citrus aurantium increases seizure latency to PTZ induced seizures in zebrafish thru NMDA and mGluR's I and II

et al. 2015

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“…Traditionally, populations in several countries have relied on preparations obtained from Citrus species to treat problems related to the nervous system, especially symptoms of anxiety or insomnia [11-15]. Sedative and anxiolytic-like effects have been described for the essential oil (EO) obtained from the peel of Citrus aurantium L. [16,17].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Citrus aurantium L. essential oil exhibits anxiolytic-like activity mediated by 5-HT1A-receptors and reduces cholesterol after repeated oral treatment

Costa

Cury

Cassettari

et al. 2013

BMC Complement Altern Med

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BackgroundThe current treatments for anxiety disorders and depression have multiple adverse effects in addition to a delayed onset of action, which has prompted efforts to find new substances with potential activity in these disorders. Citrus aurantium was chosen based on ethnopharmacological data because traditional medicine refers to the Citrus genus as useful in diminishing the symptoms of anxiety or insomnia, and C. aurantium has more recently been proposed as an adjuvant for antidepressants. In the present work, we investigated the biological activity underlying the anxiolytic and antidepressant effects of C. aurantium essential oil (EO), the putative mechanism of the anxiolytic-like effect, and the neurochemical changes in specific brain structures of mice after acute treatment. We also monitored the mice for possible signs of toxicity after a 14-day treatment.MethodsThe anxiolytic-like activity of the EO was investigated in a light/dark box, and the antidepressant activity was investigated in a forced swim test. Flumazenil, a competitive antagonist of benzodiazepine binding, and the selective 5-HT1A receptor antagonist WAY100635 were used in the experimental procedures to determine the mechanism of action of the EO. To exclude false positive results due to motor impairment, the mice were submitted to the rotarod test.ResultsThe data suggest that the anxiolytic-like activity observed in the light/dark box procedure after acute (5 mg/kg) or 14-day repeated (1 mg/kg/day) dosing was mediated by the serotonergic system (5-HT1A receptors). Acute treatment with the EO showed no activity in the forced swim test, which is sensitive to antidepressants. A neurochemical evaluation showed no alterations in neurotransmitter levels in the cortex, the striatum, the pons, and the hypothalamus. Furthermore, no locomotor impairment or signs of toxicity or biochemical changes, except a reduction in cholesterol levels, were observed after treatment with the EO.ConclusionThis work contributes to a better understanding of the biological activity of C. aurantium EO by characterizing the mechanism of action underlying its anxiolytic-like activity.

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“…Citrus aurantium is the most frequently plant used as sedative by patients at the outpatient clinics of five health-care centers in Puerto Rico (Hernandez et al, 1984) and is popularly cited by the same activity in Guatemala (Giró n et al, 1991), México (Tortoriello and Romero, 1992), Italy (De Feo and Senatore, 1993), Martinique (Longuefosse and Nossin, 1996) and Spain (Vásquez et al, 1997). Ambient odor of orange (C. sinensis) diffused in the waiting room in a dental office results in a lower level of state anxiety in patients (Lehrner et al, 2000).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of the essential oil from Citrus aurantium L. in experimental anxiety models in mice

2006

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Use of medicinal plants by ambulatory patients in Puerto Rico

Cited by 6 publications

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Citrus aurantium increases seizure latency to PTZ induced seizures in zebrafish thru NMDA and mGluR's I and II

Citrus aurantium increases seizure latency to PTZ induced seizures in zebrafish thru NMDA and mGluR's I and II

Citrus aurantium L. essential oil exhibits anxiolytic-like activity mediated by 5-HT1A-receptors and reduces cholesterol after repeated oral treatment

Effects of the essential oil from Citrus aurantium L. in experimental anxiety models in mice

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