Central nervous system effects of civet

Civet, the perineal gland secretion of Malabar Civet cat (Moschothera civettina blyth) in doses ranging from 100 to 800 mg/kg p.o. produced significant potentiation of pentobarbitone induced hypnosis, mild analgesis and anticonvulsant activities. However, it is devoid of hypothermic effect in mice and antipyretic activity in febrile rats. It also failed to produce any effect in the "rota - rod test", to influence the amphetamine toxicity in aggregated mice and in the conditioned avoidance response in trained rats. In the acute toxicity studies civet was found to be devoid of any toxic manifestations or mortality in mice upto a dose of 800 mg/kg orally.