Ethopharmacological analysis of the effects of the whole plant extract of Synedrella nodiflora (L.) Gaertn (Asteraceae) in murine models

The present study reports the effects of a hydro-ethanolic extract of the whole plant of Synedrella nodiflora (L) Gaertn, a plant traditionally used in Ghana for the treatment of epilepsy, in the elevated plus-maze (EPM), light/dark test (LD), the VersaMax animal activity monitor system (VAMS) and the pentobarbitone-induced sleep test. In the EPM paradigm, S. nodiflora extract (10-300 mg kg^-1) exhibited anxiogenic-like activity by dose-dependently decreasing the number of entries into both the open and closed arms, no significant effect on the percent number of entries into the open arms and a decrease in the time spent in the open arm in comparison to the vehicle-treated group. S. nodiflora extract (SNE) dose-dependently decreased the number of head dips, stretch-attend postures and duration of grooming. In the LD test, SNE also exhibited anxiogenic-like effect by significantly and dose-dependently reducing the number of entries into the light compartment, the number of transitions and not significantly, the time spent in the light area. In the EPM and LD test, diazepam (0.1-1.0 mg kg^-1), the reference anxiolytic drug, produced a directly opposite response to that exhibited by SNE. SNE (10-1000 mg kg^-1), in the VAMS, decreased locomotor activity of mice dose-dependently and significantly. SNE also reduced time spent at the center of the observation cage of the activity monitor indicating an anxiogenic-like effect. S. nodiflora exhibited sedation in the pentobarbitone-induced sleep test. Putting all together, S. nodiflora extract displayed an anxiogenic-like effect in mice which could be attributed to its sedative properties.

Author(s): Eric Woode, Patrick Amoateng and Wonder K.M. Abotsi

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