title: Trichopus zeylanicus combats fatigue without amphetamine-mimetic activity.
abstract: Chronic fatigue is a complex and little understood symptom for which there is no safe and effective pharmacotherapy. The present study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of Trichopus zeylanicus whole plant powder on fatigue in young Sprague Dawley rats, and aged normal and long-living mutant Ames dwarf mice. Fatigue was evaluated by subjecting the animals to a forced swim test. Trichopus zeylanicus (250 and 500 mg/kg) treated young Sprague-Dawley rats resisted fatigue at a significant level (p < 0.005) compared with controls by an extended swim time in the forced swim test. Oral Trichopus zeylanicus (500 mg/kg) treatment for 2 weeks significantly increased the mobility time in the aged mutant (p < 0.05) and normal mice (p < 0.01) and significantly increased the swim time in the forced swim test in the aged normal mice (p < 0.05). Amphetamine-mimetic activity in Trichopus zeylanicus was excluded by suitable tests. These results show that Trichopus zeylanicus whole plant powder has anti-fatigue effects in young Sprague-Dawley rats and aged normal and mutant Ames dwarf mice providing scientific evidence for the Kani tribal practice in India.
authors.affiliation: Plummer Movement Disorders Center, Department of Neurology, Scott & White Clinic, Temple, TX 76508, USA.
authors.forename: Binu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tharakan
authors.forename: Muralikrishnan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dhanasekaran
authors.forename: Holly M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Brown-Borg
authors.forename: Bala V
authors.initials: BV
authors.lastname: Manyam
mesh_terms: D000661:Amphetamine / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D002908:Chronic Disease; D027743:Dioscoreaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D005221:Fatigue / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015673:Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D016627:Oxidopamine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005082:Physical Exertion; D008517:Phytotherapy; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011208:Powders; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013550:Swimming; D013565:Sympatholytics / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013566:Sympathomimetics / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D028321:Plant Preparations; D011208:Powders; D013565:Sympatholytics; D013566:Sympathomimetics; D016627:Oxidopamine; D000661:Amphetamine