title: Central nervous system studies on an ethanol extract of Acorus calamus rhizomes.
abstract: An ethanol extract of Acorus calamus rhizomes was screened for CNS effects using a battery of 20 tests in rats and mice. The extract exhibited a large number of actions similar to alpha-asarone (an active principle of A. calamus) but differed from the latter in several other respects including the responses to electroshock, apomorphine- and isolation-induced aggressive behaviour, amphetamine toxicity in aggregated mice, behavioural despair syndrome in forced swimming, etc. These differences could be due to chemical substances yet to be isolated from the plant extract.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Institute of History of Medicine and Medical Research, Hamdard Nagar, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Vohora
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Dandiya
mesh_terms: D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000378:metabolism; D000700:Analgesics; D000818:Animals; D000927:Anticonvulsants; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000187:drug effects; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects*; D004357:Drug Synergism; D000431:Ethanol; D005260:Female; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D010424:Pentobarbital / Q000494:pharmacology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000032:analysis*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012890:Sleep / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D000927:Anticonvulsants; D010936:Plant Extracts; D000431:Ethanol; D010424:Pentobarbital