Phytochemical Profiling and Neuropharmacological Evaluation of Baccaurea motleyana Bark Extract: In Vivo and In
Md Tanveer Ahsan1, Md Ekramul Haque Ekram1, Kawsar Al Mahmud2
1Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh, cu.ac.bd.
Abstract:
Depression, anxiety, insomnia, and muscle spasms are globally prevalent disorders. Although Baccaurea motleyana is traditionally used in folk medicine, its neuroprotective efficacy remains unexplored. This study evaluates the anxiolytic, antidepressant, sedative, and muscle relaxant properties of its bark methanol extract (BMB-ME) using in vivo and in silico analyses. Phytochemical analysis of BMB-ME was assessed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Antidepressant activity was evaluated using the tail suspension test (TST) and forced swim test (FST), anxiolytic effects were assessed using the elevated plus maze (EPM) and hole board test (HBT), sedative effects were measured using the open field test (OFT) and hole cross test (HCT), and muscle relaxant activity was determined using the rotarod test. Moreover, molecular docking and ADMET analyses were performed. GC-MS of BMB-ME identified 38 compounds. It significantly reduced immobility in TST to 61.75 ± 1.87 s (p < 0.001) and in FST to 55.52 ± 3.14 s (p < 0.001) at 400 mg/kg. EPM results showed increased open arm time to 232.6 ± 7.24 s (p < 0.001), whereas OFT demonstrated reduced locomotion to 45.6 ± 1.92 (p < 0.001). Rotarod retention time decreased to 18.6 ± 0.99 s (p < 0.001), indicating muscle relaxation. Molecular docking showed favorable binding affinities for hexadecanoic acid and gamma-sitosterol (-8.3 to -8.1 kcal/mol), providing computational support. Overall, BMB-ME demonstrated preliminary antidepressant-, anxiolytic-, sedative-, and muscle relaxant-like effects in experimental models. Further studies are needed to isolate active compounds and clarify the underlying mechanisms.