title: Anxiolytic-like effects and toxicological studies of Brickellia cavanillesii (Cass.) A. Gray in experimental mice models.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Brickellia cavanillesii (Asteraceae) (Cass.) A. Gray is one of the popular plants consumed in Central America and Mexico for the treatment of several diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and anxiety, among others.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the anxiolytic-like effect of B. Cavanillesii and the safety of its use through toxicological studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Anxiolytic-like effects of soluble-methanol extract of B. cavanillesii (MEBc) were evaluated in ambulatory activity (open-field test), hole-board test, cylinder of exploration, the elevated plus-maze and the potentiation of the sodium pentobarbital-induced hypnosis mice models. On the other hand, in vivo toxicological studies were conducted on acute and sub-acute mice models recommended by OECD. Active MEBc was subjected to phytochemical studies through conventional chromatographic techniques to isolate bioactive compounds.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MEBc (100mg/Kg) showed significant anxiolytic-like effect on animal model used (p<0.05). The phytochemical analysis of MEBc allowed the isolation of two major compounds nicotiflorin and acacetin, among others. Both compounds were found to be partially responsible for the anxiolytic-like effects. Moreover, a median lethal dose (LD50) higher than 2000mg/Kg was determined in mice and sub-acute oral administration of MEBc (100mg/Kg) did not alter body weight, clinical chemistry parameters (ALT and AST) and it did not induce any toxic nor alteration in the liver, kidney and heart functions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In current investigation, we have shown that MEBc has a wide range of pharmacology-toxicology patterns. The results support further investigation of MEBc as a potential anxiolytic phytomedicinal agent.
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Avenida Universidad 1001, Col. Chamilpa, 62209 Cuernavaca, Morelos, México.
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ávila-Villarreal
authors.affiliation: Dirección de Investigaciones en Neurociencias del Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Calz. México-Xochimilco 101, Col. Sn Lorenzo Huipulco, 14370 Ciudad de México, México.
authors.forename: María Eva
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: González-Trujano
authors.affiliation: Dirección de Investigaciones en Neurociencias del Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Calz. México-Xochimilco 101, Col. Sn Lorenzo Huipulco, 14370 Ciudad de México, México.
authors.forename: Azucena Ibeth
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Carballo-Villalobos
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigaciones Químicas, IICBA, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Avenida Universidad 1001, Col. Chamilpa, 62209 Cuernavaca, Morelos, México.
authors.forename: Berenice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Aguilar-Guadarrama
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Avenida Universidad 1001, Col. Chamilpa, 62209 Cuernavaca, Morelos, México.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: García-Jiménez
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Avenida Universidad 1001, Col. Chamilpa, 62209 Cuernavaca, Morelos, México.
authors.forename: Diana Elizabeth
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Giles-Rivas
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación en Biotecnología, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Avenida Universidad 1001, Col. Chamilpa, 62209 Cuernavaca, Morelos, México.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Castillo-España
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Biomedicina, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tlalnepantla, Estado de México 54090, México.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Villalobos-Molina
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Avenida Universidad 1001, Col. Chamilpa, 62209 Cuernavaca, Morelos, México. Electronic address: enoch@uaem.mx.
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Estrada-Soto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D019659:Asteraceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D003243:Consciousness / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D047309:Flavones / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D010424:Pentobarbital / Q000633:toxicity; D010636:Phenols / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D008517:Phytotherapy; D035261:Plant Components, Aerial / Q000737:chemistry; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012890:Sleep / Q000187:drug effects; D013997:Time Factors; D023382:Toxicity Tests, Acute; D059550:Toxicity Tests, Subchronic
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D047309:Flavones; D005419:Flavonoids; D010636:Phenols; D010936:Plant Extracts; C513882:nicotiflorin; D010424:Pentobarbital; C023717:acacetin
keywords: Acacetin; Anxiolytic-like effect; Brickellia cavanillesii; Luteolin; Nicotiflorin; Toxicological studies