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Published on: October 16, 2013
Hypnotic Effect of A. absinthium Hydroalcoholic Extract in Pentobarbital-Treated Mice
Hassan Rakhshandeh1, Amirhossein Heidari2, Ali Mohammad Pourbagher-Shahri3,4
1Pharmacological Research Center of Medicinal Plants, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Background:
Current drugs used in the management of insomnia are associated with side effects. The use of medicinal herbs for insomnia treatment has recently been suggested.
Objective:
The present study aimed to determine the hypnotic activity of the hydroalcoholic extract of Artemisia absinthium (A. absinthium) in mice.
Method:
The toxicity of A. absinthium extract is assessed by their lethal dose 50% (LD50), and cytotoxicity evaluation was also done with PC12 cell lines by MTT assay. A. absinthium extract (25, 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg) and 3 fractions (n-butanol fraction (NBF), ethyl acetate fraction (EAF), and aqueous fraction (AQF)) were administered intraperitoneally30 minutes before 30 mg/kg pentobarbital intraperitoneal injection; after that, the sleeping time and sleep latency were recorded.
Results:
The LD50 value was 2.4 g/kg. The extracts tested showed no negative effect on the proliferation of PC12 cells. A. absinthium extract increased the duration of pentobarbital-induced sleep at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg (P < 0.01-P < 0.001). Similarly, AQF, EAF, and NBF at 200 mg/kg could increase sleep duration (P < 0.05). The sleep latency was decreased by A. absinthium extract at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg (P < 0.05-P < 0.01), AQF (P < 0.05), and EAF (P < 0.05). Besides, flumazenil reversed the hypnotic effect of A. absinthium extract (P < 0.05).
Conclusion:
A. absinthium extract probably demonstrated sleep-enhancing effects by regulating GABAergic system.
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