title: Effects of chronic administration of Melissa officinalis L. extract on anxiety-like reactivity and on circadian and exploratory activities in mice.
abstract: This study aimed to determine the effects of chronic (15 consecutive days of treatment) per os administration of Melissa officinalis L. extract (Cyracos, Naturex) on anxiety-like reactivity in mice. As measured by HPLC, Cyracos contains significant amounts of rosmarinic acid and the triterpenoids oleanolic acid and ursolic acid, which inhibit gamma-aminobutyric acid transaminase (GABA-T) activity and increase GABA levels in the brain (Awad et al., 2007; Awad et al., 2009). Thus, we evaluated Cyracos use in independent groups of C57BL/6 mice with regard to anxiety-like reactivity in an elevated plus maze and an open field task. We found that Cyracos significantly reduced anxiety-like reactivity in the elevated plus maze dose-dependently, but no significant effect was observed in the open field task. Parallel experiments in independent groups of mice showed that the Cyracosdose at which it exerted anxiolytic-like effects in the elevated plus maze did not alter exploratory or circadian activities. Therefore, our results demonstrate that Cyracos has anxiolytic-like effects under moderate stress conditions and does not alter activity levels.
authors.affiliation: Naturex Inc, 375 Huyler St, South Hackensack, NJ 07606, USA.
authors.forename: Alvin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ibarra
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Feuillere
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roller
authors.forename: Edith
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lesburgere
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Beracochea
mesh_terms: D000612:4-Aminobutyrate Transaminase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D002934:Cinnamates; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D053630:Depsides; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D018755:GABA Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D031334:Melissa / Q000737:chemistry*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009828:Oleanolic Acid; D008517:Phytotherapy; D035261:Plant Components, Aerial; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D014315:Triterpenes; D000097123:Rosmarinic Acid; D000097245:Ursolic Acid
chemical_list: D000612:4-Aminobutyrate Transaminase; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D002934:Cinnamates; D053630:Depsides; D018755:GABA Agonists; D009828:Oleanolic Acid; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014315:Triterpenes; D000097123:Rosmarinic Acid; D000097245:Ursolic Acid