title: Comparative study of neuropharmacological, analgesic properties and phenolic profile of Ajwah, Safawy and Sukkari cultivars of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera).
abstract: In addition to the rich nutritional value, date palm is also used in various ethnobotanical practices for the treatment of various disease conditions. Present investigation was undertaken to examine the neuropharmacological and antinociceptive effect of the ethanol extract of three date cultivars growing in Saudi Arabia, namely Ajwah, Safawy and Sukkari. Neuropharmacological effect was observed by pentobarbitone induced sleeping time, open field, and hole board test. Antinociceptive activity was tested by acetic acid induced writhing and hot plate test. The date extracts were also subjected to HPLC analysis to detect the presence of common bioactive polyphenols. All the three date extracts extended the pentobarbitone induced sleeping time, reduced locomotor activity in open field test and reduced exploratory behaviour in hole board test in mice. The extracts also reduced acetic acid induced writhing and delayed response time in hot plate test. The activities were stronger for Ajwah than the other two date cultivars. HPLC analysis indicated the presence oftrans-ferulic acid in all three cultivars, while (+)-catechin and (-)-epicatechin only in Ajwah and Safawy. The observed neuropharmacological and analgesic activity could be partly due to the presence of (+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin andtrans-ferulic acid, three important plant polyphenols well known for their neuroprotective activity and their ability to exert antioxidant activity on brain cells. Present investigation also supports the ethnobotanical use of date palm to provide ameliorating effects in pain and CNS disorders.
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, Taibah University, PO Box 456, Almadinah Almunawarah, 41411 Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Bassem Yousef
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Sheikh
authors.affiliation: Pharmacy Discipline, Life Science School, Khulna University, Khulna, 9208 Bangladesh.
authors.forename: S M Neamul Kabir
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Zihad
authors.affiliation: Pharmacy Discipline, Life Science School, Khulna University, Khulna, 9208 Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Nazifa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sifat
authors.affiliation: Pharmacy Discipline, Life Science School, Khulna University, Khulna, 9208 Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Shaikh J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Uddin
authors.affiliation: Pharmacy Discipline, Life Science School, Khulna University, Khulna, 9208 Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Jamil A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Shilpi
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, Alneelain University, 11121 Khartoum, Sudan.
authors.forename: Omer A A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Hamdi
authors.affiliation: BCSIR Laboratories, Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), Dhaka, 1205 Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Hemayet
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hossain
authors.affiliation: Pharmacy Discipline, Life Science School, Khulna University, Khulna, 9208 Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Razina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rouf
authors.affiliation: BCSIR Laboratories, Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), Dhaka, 1205 Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Ismet Ara
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Jahan
keywords: (+)-catechin; (−)-epicatechin; Date palm; Hole board test; Open field test; Trans-ferulic acid