Neurophysiological studies of Heteropteris glabra Hok. & Arn. (Malpighiaceae) in DBA/2J mice.
Fruits of Heteropterys glabra (Malpighiaceae) are used in South-American folk medicine as a sedative and anxiolytic agent. In present research, we studied neurophysiological effects of the plant. Ethanolic extract was assayed in DBA/2J mice in order to evaluate the sleep wakefulness cycle, electroencephalogram (EEG) and visual evoked potentials (VEP). The results of our experiments indicated that the EtOH extract of the plant induced a reduction of motor activity and alterations of EEG and VEP parameters, supporting the possibility that the plant acts as an anxiolytic/sedative agent, thus, confirming its usual assumption and the traditional use.
Galietta
Gabriella
G
Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy.
Giuliani
Giusi
G
Loizzo
Alberto
A
Amat
Anibal G
AG
Fumagalli
Emiliano
E
De Feo
Vincenzo
V
Quaranta
Emilia
E
Paladino
Lidia
L
Capasso
Anna
A
D000818:Animals; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000379:methods; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005638:Fruit; D008297:Male; D029581:Malpighiaceae; D051379:Mice; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology
D010936:Plant Extracts