Toxicity and Anxiolytic Property of Nettle in Mice in Light/Dark Test

Background: Anxiety is an unpleasant state of inner turmoil often accompanied by cognitive, somatic, emotional, and behavioral components. There is some evidence in traditional medicine for the effectiveness of Urtica urens in the treatment of anxiety in humans. The present study was designed to study anxiolytic property of aqueous extracts of Urtica urens; an important and commonly used for its medicinal properties belongs to urticaceae family. Methods: The anxiolytic activity was evaluated with the adult mice by hole board test, and the light-dark box test, and motor coordination with the rota rod test. The efficacy of the plant extract (100–400 mg/kg) was compared with the standard anxiolytic drug diazepam (1 mg/kg i.p.). Results: The extract increased the time spent in the brightly-lit chamber of the light/dark box, as well as in the number of times the animal crossed from one compartment to the other. Performance on the rota rod was unaffected. In the hole board test, the extract significantly increased both head-dip counts and head-dip duration. Urtica urens, in contrast to diazepam, had no effect on locomotion. Conclusions: These results provides support for anxiolytic activity of Urtica urens, in line with its medicinal traditional use, and may also suggest a better side-effect profile of Urtica urens relative to diazepam

Morocco

Morocco has well developed irrigation facilities that range from small scale communal systems based on springs, qanats or river diversions to groundwater-based individual initiatives and large scale public schemes. Water demand policies – e.g. water pricing, shift to drip irrigation, 'aquifer contracts' and other forms of participatory management – have shown little potential in curbing overexploitation of resources in many basins. Expansion of irrigated areas and the priority given to productivity have taken their toll on the environment, favored commercial agriculture, and contributed to a net depletion of groundwater estimated at 1 billion m3/year. There is a need to better align agricultural development, water conservation, and environmental objectives. After a short historical perspective, this chapter first reviews a number of trends in the irrigation sector (modernization, development of groundwater resources, wastewater reuse and desalination), before turning to regulatory and institutional issues, including participatory management, economic tools, privatization and an examination of the Plan Maroc Vert. The threats posed by climate change, water scarcity, and environmental degradation are then discussed