Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 8, 2025

Elevated Plus Maze Test Combined with Video Tracking Software to Investigate the Anxiolytic Effect of Exogenous Ketogenic Supplements
Published on: January 7, 2019
Herbal medicines as anxiolytics prior to third molar surgical extraction. A randomized controlled clinical trial
Rafael Soares da Cunha1, Klinger Souza Amorim2, Anne Caroline Gercina3
1Oral Surgery and Anesthesiology Area of Dentistry Department, Federal University of Sergipe, St Cláudio Batista, s/n. Cidade Nova, Aracaju, Sergipe, 49060-108, Brazil.
Objectives:
This study aimed to compare the effects of Passiflora incarnata, Erythrina mulungu, and midazolam in controlling anxiety in patients undergoing mandibular third molar extraction.
Methods:
The volunteers underwent extraction of their third mandibular molars in a randomized, placebo-controlled, triple-blind, and parallel clinical trial. Passiflora incarnata (500 mg), Erythrina mulungu (500 mg), or midazolam (15 mg) was orally administered 60 min before the surgery. The anxiety level of participants was evaluated using questionnaires and measurements of physical parameters, including heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), and oxygen saturation (SpO2).
Results:
A total of 200 volunteers were included in this clinical trial. Considering each procedure independently, no significant differences (p > 0.05) in BP, HR, and SpO2 were observed among the protocols.
Conclusions:
Passiflora incarnata showed a similar effect to midazolam but differed from placebo and mulungu, which were unable to control anxiety in this situation. Therefore, the results suggest that Passiflora configures an herbal medicine with an anxiolytic effect, adequate to use in third molar extractions.
Clinical Relevance:
The use of Passiflora incarnata may be an alternative to benzodiazepines for controlling anxiety in patients scheduled for oral surgery under local anesthesia.
Trial Registration:
ClinicalTrials.gov : ANSI-388.427.
Related Concept Videos
Anxiolytic Drugs: Overview
Primary Types of Anxiolytic Drugs
1. Benzodiazepines:
Benzodiazepines bind to the GABA-A receptor in the brain, enhancing GABA's interaction. This action reduces neurotransmission, effectively blocking anxiety-associated limbic...
Anxiolytic Drugs: Benzodiazepines and Buspirone
Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Miscellaneous Agents
Melatonin congeners like ramelteon (Rozerem) and tasimelteon (Hetlioz) selectively bind to melatonin receptors (MT1 and MT2) and thus mimic the actions of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles. Tasimelteon is primarily used for non-24-hour sleep-wake disorder, common in blind patients. They are also used to treat conditions like insomnia...
Sedatives and Hypnotics: Overview
Sedative-hypnotics are categorized into barbiturates, benzodiazepines (BZDs), and non-benzodiazepines or Z-drugs. These drugs work by suppressing central nervous system activity, and this suppression is dose-dependent. Older sedative medications, like barbiturates, follow a linear curve in...
Skeletal Muscle Relaxants: Therapeutic Uses
Stages of General Anesthesia

