Charles Kwaku Benneh1, Robert Peter Biney2, Priscilla Kolibea Mante3, Augustine Tandoh3, Donatus Wewura Adongo4, Eric Woode3. 1. Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Volta Region, Ghana. Electronic address: ckbenneh@uhas.edu.gh. 2. Department of Pharmacology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana. 3. Department of Pharmacology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. 4. Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana.
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Maerua angolensis DC (Capparaceae) has been employed in the management of several central nervous system (CNS) disorders including anxiety. This study evaluated the anxiolytic effects of the petroleum ether/ethyl acetate fraction stem bark extract and its possible mechanism(s) using zebrafish anxiety models. METHODS: Adult zebrafish, tested in the novel tank and light dark tests, have shown by previous authors to be sensitive to the anxiolytic effects of known anxiolytic drugs. Adult zebrafish were treated with M. angolensis extract, fluoxetine, desipramine, and diazepam followed by testing in the novel tank and light dark tests. We further assessed the effect of the extract on anxiety after inducing an anxiogenic phenotype using the ethanol-withdrawal and chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) tests. The anxiolytic effect was further investigated after pretreatment with flumazenil, granisetron, cyproheptadine, methysergide and pizotifen. RESULTS: M. angolensis extract, similar to fluoxetine and desipramine, demonstrated significant anxiolytic behaviour at doses that did not reduce locomotor activity significantly. Similar anxiolytic effects were recorded in the ethanol withdrawal-induced anxiety test. Furthermore, the anxiogenic effects induced by the CUS paradigm were significantly reversed by treatment M. angolensis extract and fluoxetine. The anxiolytic effects of M. angolensis extract were however reversed after pre-treatment with flumazenil, granisetron, cyproheptadine, methysergide and pizotifen. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, this suggests that the petroleum ether/ ethyl acetate fraction of M. angolensis possesses significant anxiolytic activity, which could partly be accounted for by an interaction with the serotoninergic system and the GABAA receptor.
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Maerua angolensis DC (Capparaceae) has been employed in the management of several central nervous system (CNS) disorders including anxiety. This study evaluated the anxiolytic effects of the petroleum ether/ethyl acetate fraction stem bark extract and its possible mechanism(s) using zebrafishanxiety models. METHODS: Adult zebrafish, tested in the novel tank and light dark tests, have shown by previous authors to be sensitive to the anxiolytic effects of known anxiolytic drugs. Adult zebrafish were treated with M. angolensis extract, fluoxetine, desipramine, and diazepam followed by testing in the novel tank and light dark tests. We further assessed the effect of the extract on anxiety after inducing an anxiogenic phenotype using the ethanol-withdrawal and chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) tests. The anxiolytic effect was further investigated after pretreatment with flumazenil, granisetron, cyproheptadine, methysergide and pizotifen. RESULTS:M. angolensis extract, similar to fluoxetine and desipramine, demonstrated significant anxiolytic behaviour at doses that did not reduce locomotor activity significantly. Similar anxiolytic effects were recorded in the ethanol withdrawal-induced anxiety test. Furthermore, the anxiogenic effects induced by the CUS paradigm were significantly reversed by treatment M. angolensis extract and fluoxetine. The anxiolytic effects of M. angolensis extract were however reversed after pre-treatment with flumazenil, granisetron, cyproheptadine, methysergide and pizotifen. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, this suggests that the petroleum ether/ ethyl acetate fraction of M. angolensis possesses significant anxiolytic activity, which could partly be accounted for by an interaction with the serotoninergic system and the GABAA receptor.
Authors: Robert Peter Biney; Charles Kwaku Benneh; Donatus Wewura Adongo; Elvis Ofori Ameyaw; Eric Woode Journal: Psychopharmacology (Berl) Date: 2021-04-10 Impact factor: 4.530
Authors: Charles Kwaku Benneh; Robert Peter Biney; Augustine Tandoh; Felix Agyei Ampadu; Donatus Wewura Adongo; Jonathan Jato; Eric Woode Journal: Evid Based Complement Alternat Med Date: 2018-05-02 Impact factor: 2.629
Authors: Charles Kwaku Benneh; Robert Peter Biney; Donatus Wewura Adongo; Priscilla Kolibea Mante; Felix Agyei Ampadu; Augustine Tandoh; Jonathan Jato; Eric Woode Journal: Depress Res Treat Date: 2018-09-09
Authors: Jonathan Cueto-Escobedo; León Jesús German-Ponciano; Gabriel Guillén-Ruiz; Cesar Soria-Fregozo; Emma Virginia Herrera-Huerta Journal: Front Behav Neurosci Date: 2022-01-12 Impact factor: 3.558
Authors: Antonio Wlisses da Silva; Maria Kueirislene A Ferreira; Emanuela L Rebouças; Francisco Rogenio S Mendes; Atilano Lucas Dos S Moura; Jane Eire S A de Menezes; Márcia Machado Marinho; Emmanuel Silva Marinho; Hélcio S Santos; Alexandre M R Teixeira Journal: Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol Date: 2021-07-12 Impact factor: 3.000
Authors: Nayara Costa de Melo; Brenda Lorena Sánchez-Ortiz; Tafnis Ingret Dos Santos Sampaio; Arlindo César Matias Pereira; Fernando Luiz Pinheiro da Silva Neto; Heitor Ribeiro da Silva; Rodrigo Alves Soares Cruz; Hady Keita; Ana Maria Soares Pereira; José Carlos Tavares Carvalho Journal: Pharmaceuticals (Basel) Date: 2019-07-11