title: Effects of Sceletium tortuosum in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Broad historical and current uses in addition to diverse activity on CNS targets may make Sceletium tortuosum a useful therapeutic in a variety of clinical settings. This study sought to more broadly characterize activity of Sceletium tortuosum and mesembrine in a number of common, rodent-based assays that model nociception, depression, anxiety, ataxia, and abuse liability.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male Sprague-Dawley were administered Sceletium tortuosum extract products and behavioral responses were evaluated in the conditioned place preference (CPP), hot plate, forced swim, elevated plus, and rotarod tests.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sceletium tortuosum does not cause preference or aversion in CPP. Mesembrine appears to have analgesic properties without abuse liabilities or ataxia. The Sceletium tortuosum fraction has antidepressant properties but does produce ataxia. The ataxia may limit its usefulness as an antidepressant unless the antidepressant activity is associated with one constituent and the ataxia is associated with a separate constituent.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Psychology, University of Mississippi, MS 38677, USA. Electronic address: mjloria@go.olemiss.edu.
authors.forename: Melissa J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Loria
authors.affiliation: National Center for Natural Products Research, University of Mississippi, MS 38677, USA.
authors.forename: Zulfiqar
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.affiliation: National Center for Natural Products Research, University of Mississippi, MS 38677, USA.
authors.forename: Naohito
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.affiliation: Departments of Psychology, University of Mississippi, MS 38677, USA; Departments of Pharmacology, University of Mississippi, MS 38677, USA; National Center for Natural Products Research, University of Mississippi, MS 38677, USA.
authors.forename: Kenneth J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Sufka
authors.affiliation: National Center for Natural Products Research, University of Mississippi, MS 38677, USA.
authors.forename: Ikhlas A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Khan
mesh_terms: D035722:Aizoaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D000700:Analgesics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000633:toxicity; D000818:Animals; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000633:toxicity; D001259:Ataxia / Q000139:chemically induced; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D026121:Indole Alkaloids / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D026121:Indole Alkaloids; D010936:Plant Extracts; C011300:mesembrine
keywords: Anxiety and Depression; Conditioned place preference; Hotplate; Mesembrine; Rotarod; Sceletium tortuosum