title: The anxiolytic potential and psychotropic side effects of an echinacea preparation in laboratory animals and healthy volunteers.
abstract: We investigated the toxicity, psychotropic side effects and anxiolytic potential of an Echinacea angustifolia extract that produced promising effects in laboratory tests performed earlier. Rats were studied in the elevated plus-maze, conditioned fear, open-field, object recognition and conditioned place preference tests. Toxicity was studied in rats after intragastric administration. The preparation decreased anxiety in the elevated plus-maze and ameliorated contextual conditioned fear. No lethality or behavioural signs of discomfort were noticed in rats treated with 1000 and 3000 mg/kg Echinacea angustifolia. The extract was without effect in tests of locomotion (open-field), memory (object recognition) and rewarding potential (conditioned place preference) within a wide dose range. A pharmacological formulation based on the same E. angustifolia extract was tested in human subjects. One or two tablets per day were administered for 1 week to healthy volunteers scoring high on the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). The tablets contained 20 mg of the plant extract. Data were collected using a structured self-assessment diary technique. The high dose (2 tablets per day) decreased STAI scores within 3 days in human subjects, an effect that remained stable for the duration of the treatment (7 days) and for the 2 weeks that followed treatment. The lower dose (1 tablet per day) did not affect anxiety significantly.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary. haller@koki.hu
authors.forename: József
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Haller
authors.forename: Tamás F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Freund
authors.forename: Katalin Gyimesi
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Pelczer
authors.forename: János
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Füredi
authors.forename: Laszlo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Krecsak
authors.forename: János
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zámbori
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D020900:Echinacea / Q000737:chemistry*; D005239:Fear / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012647:Self-Assessment; D013607:Tablets
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D013607:Tablets