title: Erysothrine, an alkaloid extracted from flowers of Erythrina mulungu Mart. ex Benth: evaluating its anticonvulsant and anxiolytic potential.
abstract: In this study, we isolated the alkaloid erysothrine from the hydroalcoholic extract of flowers from E. mulungu and screened for its anticonvulsant and anxiolytic actions based on neuroethological and neurochemical experiments. Our results showed that the administration of erysothrine inhibited seizures evoked by bicuculline, PTZ, NMDA and most remarkably, kainic acid. Also, erysothrine induced an increase in the number of entries but not in the time spent in the open arms of the EPM. However, we did not notice any alterations in the light-dark choice or in the open-field tests. In preliminary neurochemistry tests, we also showed that erysothrine (0.001-10 μg/mL) did not alter the GABA or glutamate synaptossomal uptake and binding. Altogether, our results describe an alkaloid with anticonvulsant activity and mild anxiolytic activity that might be considered well tolerated as it does not alter the general behavior of the animals in the used doses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, University of Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
authors.forename: Daiane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Santos Rosa
authors.forename: Silmara Aparecida
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Faggion
authors.forename: Amanda Salomão
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Gavin
authors.forename: Maicon
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Anderson de Souza
authors.forename: Helene Aparecida
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Fachim
authors.forename: Wagner
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ferreira dos Santos
authors.forename: Ana Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Soares Pereira
authors.forename: Alexandra Olimpio Siqueira
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Cunha
authors.forename: Renê Oliveira
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Beleboni
mesh_terms: D000470:Alkaloids / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D003292:Convulsants / Q000633:toxicity; D003975:Diazepam / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004895:Erythrina / Q000737:chemistry*; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D035264:Flowers / Q000737:chemistry*; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D008124:Locomotion / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008517:Phytotherapy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013574:Synaptosomes / Q000187:drug effects; D014316:Tritium / Q000378:metabolism; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D000927:Anticonvulsants; D003292:Convulsants; C573870:erysothrine; D014316:Tritium; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D003975:Diazepam