Etude de l’effet antidépresseur de la décoction des rhizomes de Cyperus Articulatus (Cyperaceae) sur les souris blanches Mus musculus Swiss (Muridae)

La présente étude porte sur l’évaluation des effets pharmacologiques de la décoction des rhizomes de Cyperus Articulatus sur le système nerveux central. Cyperus Articulatus est une plante utilisée en médecine traditionnelle par certaines populations d’Asie et d’Afrique pour le traitement de plusieurs maladies telles que l’épilepsie, l’insomnie, les céphalées. Différentes doses (524 ; 262 ; 131 et 52,4 mg/kg) de la décoction des rhizomes C. Articulatus ont été administrées aux souris par voie orale et ces propriétés antidépressives ont été évaluées selon trois méthodes psychopharmacologiques à savoir : le test de la nage forcée ; le test de suspension caudale et le test de l’arène ouverte. L’administration de la décoction de C. Articulatus a entrainé une diminution significative de la durée d’immobilité dans le test de la nage forcée et le test de suspension caudale. Cette durée est passée respectivement de 232,40 ± 43,96 et 262,60 ± 84,00 secondes chez les souris du lot contrôle négatif à 150,00 ± 50,08 et 106,60 ± 56,86 secondes chez les souris traitées par la dose 524 mg/kg de la décoction. Dans le test de l’arène ouverte, nous n’avons pas noté une augmentation significative du nombre de rearing qui est de 16,60 ± 6,42 chez les souris du lot contrôle négatif et 21 ± 20 et 24,60 ± 9,23 secondes pour les doses 524 mg/kg de C. Articulatus et d’imipramine (20 mg/kg). Tous ces effets indiqueraient la présence dans cette décoction des rhizomes de C. Articulatus des composés qui posséderaient des propriétés antidépressives justifiant son utilisation en médecine traditionnelle. The present study reports the pharmacological effects of the decoction of Cyperus Articulatus rhizomes on the central nervous system. Cyperus Articulatus is a plant used in traditional medicine by some populations of Asia and Africa for the treatment of several diseases such as epilepsy, insomnia, and headache. The decoction of C. Articulatus were orally administered to mice at various doses (524; 262; 131 and 52.4 mg/kg) and its anti-depressive properties evaluated according to different psycho-pharmacological methods (forced swimming test, tail suspension test, and open field test). The administration of the decoction of C. Articulatus to the mice led to a significant reduction in the duration of immobility in the forced swimming test and the tail suspension test. This duration reduced respectively from 232.40 ± 43.96 and 262.60 ± 84.00 seconds in the mice of the negative controls batch to 150.00 ± 50.08 and 106.60 ± 56.86 seconds in the mice treated with the dose of 524 mg/kg of the decoction. In the open field test, we did not notice a significant increase in the number of rearing positions; these values were 16.60 ± 6.42 seconds in the negative control batch mice and only 24.60 ± 9.23 and 21 ± 20 seconds for the positive control batch and the dose of 524 mg/kg of C. Articulatus respectively. All these effects indicate the presence of bioactive molecules in this decoction of the rhizomes of C Articulatus which would have anti-depressive properties justifying its use in traditional medicine

SEDATIVE AND ANTICONVULSANT PROPERTIES OF PASSIFLORA EDULIS DRIED LEAVES DECOCTION IN MICE

Passiflora edulis Sims is native from Tropical area of South America. It is used in traditional medicine in the treatment of some diseases related to the nervous system and others. The extract of Passiflora edulis possesses sedative activity in mice. It significantly increased the total sleep time induced by diazepam (50 mg/kg i.p.). The total sleep time increased from 31 + 11 min in the control group to 77.6 + 15 and 78.3 + 16 min in the groups treated with extract at the doses of 132.5 and 1325 mg/kg respectively. This extract showed also anticonvulsant activity in mice. It protected mice against strychnine -induced seizures and antagonized N-methyl-D-aspartate- induced turning behavior in mice. The ED50 for the protection against seizures -induced by strychnine was 320 mg/kg intraperitoneally (i.p.). For N-methyl-D-aspartate -induced turning behavior, the ED50 was 300 mg/kg i.p. Passiflora edulis extract had less effect against pentylene tetrazol- induced seizures. The potentiation of diazepam-induced sleep, the antagonism of chemical -induced seizures and turning behavior suggest that Passiflora edulis extract possess sedative and anticonvulsant properties in animals

Anxiolytic and Antiepileptic Properties of the Aqueous Extract of Cissus quadrangularis (Vitaceae) in Mice Pilocarpine Model of Epilepsy

Cissus quadrangularis (C. quadrangularis) is a plant of the Vitaceae family known for its anticonvulsant effects in traditional medicine. The objective of this study was to elucidate the anxiolytic and antiepileptic effects of aqueous extract of C. quadrangularis. The mice were divided into different groups and treated for seven consecutive days as follows: a negative control group that received distilled water, po, four test groups that received four doses of the plant (37.22, 93.05, 186.11, and 372.21 mg/kg, po), and a positive control group that received sodium valproate (300 mg/kg, ip). One hour after the first treatment (first day), epilepsy was induced by intraperitoneal administration of a single dose of pilocarpine (360 mg/kg). On the seventh day, the anxiolytic effects of the extract were evaluated in the epileptic mice using the elevated plus maze (EPM) and open field (OP) paradigms. Antioxidant activities and the involvement of gabaergic neurotransmission were determined by measuring the levels of malondialdehyde, reduced glutathione (GSH), GABA, and GABA-transaminase (GABA-T) in the hippocampus of sacrificed epileptic mice. The results show that the extract of C. quadrangularis significantly and dose-dependently increased the latency to clonic and generalized tonic–clonic seizures and decreased the number and duration of seizures. In the EPM, the extract of C. quadrangularis significantly increased the number of entries and the time spent into the open arms and reduced the number of entries and the time spent into the closed arms as well as the number of rearing. The extract of C. quadrangularis also increased the number of crossing, and the time spent in the center of the OP. The level of MDA and the activity of GABA-T were significantly decreased by the extract of C. quadrangularis while reduced GSH and GABA levels were increased. The results suggest that the anticonvulsant activities of C. quadrangularis are accompanied by its anxiolytics effects. These effects may be supported by its antioxidant properties and mediated at least in part by the GABA neurotransmission

Sedative and anticonvulsant properties of Passiflora edulis dried leaves decoction in mice

Passiflora edulis Sims is native from Tropical area of South America. It is used in traditional medicine in the treatment of some diseases related to the nervous system and others. The extract of Passiflora edulis possesses sedative activity in mice. It significantly increased the total sleep time induced by diazepam (50 mg/kg i.p.). The total sleep time increased from 31 + 11 min in the control group to 77.6 + 15 and 78.3 + 16 min in the groups treated with extract at the doses of 132.5 and 1325 mg/kg respectively. This extract showed also anticonvulsant activity in mice. It protected mice against strychnine -induced seizures and antagonized N-methyl-D-aspartate- induced turning behavior in mice. The ED50 for the protection against seizures -induced by strychnine was 320 mg/kg intraperitoneally (i.p.). For N-methyl-D-aspartate -induced turning behavior, the ED50 was 300 mg/kg i.p. Passiflora edulis extract had less effect against pentylene tetrazol- induced seizures. The potentiation of diazepam-induced sleep, the antagonism of chemical -induced seizures and turning behavior suggest that Passiflora edulis extract possess sedative and anticonvulsant properties in animals. Key Words: Epilepsy; Anticonvulsant; Decoction; Seizures; Passiflora edulis Afr. J. Trad. CAM (2004) 1: 63-7

Nootropic and Neuroprotective Effects of Dichrocephala integrifolia on Scopolamine Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease the most common form of dementia in the elderly is a neurodegenerative disease that affects 44 millions of people worldwide. The first treatments against Alzheimer’s disease are acetylcholinesterase inhibitors; however, these medications are associated with many side effects. Dichrocephala integrifolia is a traditional herb widely used by indigenous population of Cameroon to treat and prevent Alzheimer’s disease and for memory improvement. In this study, we evaluated the effect of the decoction prepared from leaves of D. integrifolia, on scopolamine-induced memory impairment in mice. Seven groups of six animals were used. The first two groups received distilled water for the distilled water and scopolamine groups. The four test groups received one of the four doses of the decoction of the plant (35, 87.5, 175 or 350 mg/kg p.o.) and the positive control group received tacrine (10 mg/kg), a cholinesterase inhibitor used in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, during 10 consecutive days. Scopolamine (1 mg/kg), a cholinergic receptor blocker, administered 30 min after treatments, was used to induce memory impairment to all groups except the distilled water group on day 10 of drug treatment. The behavioral paradigms used to evaluate the effects of the treatment were the elevated plus maze for learning and memory, Y maze for spatial short-term memory, the novel object recognition for recognition memory and Morris water maze for the evaluation of spatial long-term memory. After behavioral tests, animals were sacrificed and brains of a subset were used for the assessment of some biomarkers of oxidative stress (malondialdehyde and reduced glutathione levels) and for the evaluation of the acetylcholinesterase activity. From the remaining subset brains, histopathological analysis was performed. The results of this study showed that, D. integrifolia at the doses of 87.5 and 350 mg/kg significantly (p < 0.01) improved spatial short-term and long-term memory, by increasing the percentage of spontaneous alternation in the Y maze and reducing the escape latency in the Morris water maze. Furthermore, the results of histopathological evaluation showed that D. integrifolia attenuated the neuronal death in the hippocampus induced by scopolamine. The main finding of this work is that D. integrifolia improves learning capacities and counteracts the memory impairment induced by scopolamine. Thus, D. integrifolia can be a promising plant resource for the management of Alzheimer’s disease and memory loss

Anxiolytic Activity Evaluation Of Four Medicinal Plants From Cameroon

Afrormosia laxiflora (A. laxiflora), Chenopodium ambrosioides (C. ambrosioides), Microglossa pyrifolia (M. pyrifolia) and Mimosa pudica (M. pudica) are plants used in traditional medicine in Cameroon to treat insomnia, epilepsy, anxiety, and agitation. They were evaluated for their anxiolytic like activity in mice. Animal models (elevated plus maze and stress-induced hyperthermia tests) were used. The four plants showed anxiolytic activity. In stress-induced hyperthermia test, A. laxiflora, C. ambrosioides, M. pyrifolia and M. pudica significantly antagonised the increase of temperature. ΔT° decreased from 0.75°C in the control group to 0.36°C at the dose of 110 mg/kg for A. laxiflora; from 1°C in the control group to -1.1°C at the dose of 120 mg/kg for C. ambrosioides; from 1.7°C in the control group to 0.2°C at the dose of 128 mg/kg for M. pyrifolia and from 1.3°C in the control group to 0.5°C at the dose of 180 mg/kg for M. pudica. In the elevated plus maze test, the four plants increased the number of entries into, percentage of entries into, and percentage of time in open arms. A. laxiflora, C. ambrosioides and M. pudica also reduced the percentage of entries and time in closed arms. In addition, C. ambrosioides, M. pyrifolia and M. pudica showed antipyretic activity by reducing the body temperature. The results suggested that C. ambrosioides, M. pyrifolia and M. pudica posses anxiolytic-like and antipyretic activities while A. laxiflora possesses only anxiolytic-like properties. These plants could be helpful in the treatment of anxiety and fever in traditional medicine in Cameroo