Central nervous system activity of acute administration of isopulegol in mice.
Isopulegol is a monoterpene alcohol intermediate in the preparation of (-)-menthol and it is present in the essential oils of various plants. This work presents behavioral effects of isopulegol in animal models of open field, elevated plus maze (EPM), rota rod, hole board, barbiturate-induced sleeping time, tail suspension and forced swimming tests in mice. Isopulegol was administered intraperitoneally to male mice at single doses of 25 and 50 mg/kg, while diazepam 1 or 2 mg/kg and imipramine 10 or 30 mg/kg were used as standard drugs. The results showed that, similar to diazepam (1 mg/kg), both doses of isopulegol significantly modified all the observed parameters in the EPM test, without alter the general motor activity in the open field test. In the same way, both doses of isopulegol increased the number of head dips in the hole-board test. Forced swimming and tail suspension tests showed that isopulegol (25 and 50 mg/kg) was able to induce a significant increase in the immobility time, in opposite to imipramine, a recognized antidepressant drug. There was a decrease in the sleep latency time and prolongation of the pentobarbital-induced sleeping time with both doses of Isopulegol. Different from diazepam (2 mg/kg), isopulegol (25 e 50 mg/kg) had no effect on the motor coordination of animals in the rota rod test. These results showed that isopulegol presented depressant- and anxiolytic-like effects.
Silva
Maria Izabel Gomes
MI
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil.
de Aquino Neto
Manuel Rufino
MR
Teixeira Neto
Paulo Florentino
PF
Moura
Brinell Arcanjo
BA
do Amaral
Jeferson Falcão
JF
de Sousa
Damião Pergentino
DP
Vasconcelos
Silvânia Maria Mendes
SM
de Sousa
Francisca Cléa Florenço
FC
D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000081005:Cyclohexane Monoterpenes; D019417:Hindlimb Suspension; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D013550:Swimming; D013729:Terpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*
D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D000081005:Cyclohexane Monoterpenes; D013729:Terpenes; C409816:isopulegol