Melissa J Loria1, Zulfiqar Ali2, Naohito Abe2, Kenneth J Sufka3, Ikhlas A Khan2. 1. Departments of Psychology, University of Mississippi, MS 38677, USA. Electronic address: mjloria@go.olemiss.edu. 2. National Center for Natural Products Research, University of Mississippi, MS 38677, USA. 3. Departments of Psychology, University of Mississippi, MS 38677, USA; Departments of Pharmacology, University of Mississippi, MS 38677, USA; National Center for Natural Products Research, University of Mississippi, MS 38677, USA.
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Broad historical and current uses in addition to diverse activity on CNS targets may make Sceletium tortuosum a useful therapeutic in a variety of clinical settings. This study sought to more broadly characterize activity of Sceletium tortuosum and mesembrine in a number of common, rodent-based assays that model nociception, depression, anxiety, ataxia, and abuse liability. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley were administered Sceletium tortuosum extract products and behavioral responses were evaluated in the conditioned place preference (CPP), hot plate, forced swim, elevated plus, and rotarod tests. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Sceletium tortuosum does not cause preference or aversion in CPP. Mesembrine appears to have analgesic properties without abuse liabilities or ataxia. The Sceletium tortuosum fraction has antidepressant properties but does produce ataxia. The ataxia may limit its usefulness as an antidepressant unless the antidepressant activity is associated with one constituent and the ataxia is associated with a separate constituent.
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Broad historical and current uses in addition to diverse activity on CNS targets may make Sceletium tortuosum a useful therapeutic in a variety of clinical settings. This study sought to more broadly characterize activity of Sceletium tortuosum and mesembrine in a number of common, rodent-based assays that model nociception, depression, anxiety, ataxia, and abuse liability. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley were administered Sceletium tortuosum extract products and behavioral responses were evaluated in the conditioned place preference (CPP), hot plate, forced swim, elevated plus, and rotarod tests. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS:Sceletium tortuosum does not cause preference or aversion in CPP. Mesembrine appears to have analgesic properties without abuse liabilities or ataxia. The Sceletium tortuosum fraction has antidepressant properties but does produce ataxia. The ataxia may limit its usefulness as an antidepressant unless the antidepressant activity is associated with one constituent and the ataxia is associated with a separate constituent.
Authors: Thomas Brendler; Josef A Brinckmann; Ulrich Feiter; Nigel Gericke; Lucy Lang; Olga N Pozharitskaya; Alexander N Shikov; Michael Smith; Ben-Erik Van Wyk Journal: Curr Neuropharmacol Date: 2021 Impact factor: 7.363