Effects of agarwood extracts on the central nervous system in mice.

Agarwood (Jinkoh in Japanese) is an Oriental medicine for use as a sedative. Neuropharmacological studies have been conducted with the extracts of petroleum ether, benzene, chloroform, and water from agarwood (Aquilaria sp.; probably Aquilaria malaccensis Benth.) in mice. The benzene extract showed a reducing effect in spontaneous motility, a prolonging effect on hexobarbiturate-induced sleeping time, a hypothermic effect in terms of rectal temperature, and a suppressive effect on acetic acid-writhing by oral administration. Fr. 1 of the three fractions which were obtained from the benzene extract by column chromatography was found to produce more positive effects on these neuropharmacological tests than the original benzene extract. These facts suggest that the benzene extractable compounds of agarwood possess potent central nervous system depressant activities.