Antiproliferative effect of phenylethanoid glycosides from Verbena officinalis L. on Colon Cancer Cell Lines

The hydroxytyrosol-typed phenylpropanoidglycosides: A phenylpropanoid glycoside family with significant biological activity

Hydroxytyrosol-typed phenylpropanoid glycosides (HPGs), composed of phenylethanol and various complex oligosaccharides, are widespread and abundant in different plant, and have a diverse range of biological activities. All HPGs reported previously have been isolated from natural sources, and most of them showed significant bioactivities, such as anti-inflamatory, anti-cancer, cytoprotection, neuro-protective effects, enzyme-inhibitory, anti-microbial effects, and cardiovascular activity. The goal of this review is to summarize the structures of HPGs reported over the past few decades, as well as to introduce their pharmacological effects. We also introduce the possible relationship between the structures of HPGs and their source plants, as well as the structure-activity relationships of some important activities. This review will serve as a resource for future research into this class of compounds, and demonstrate their potential value.

Metabolic profiling of Verbena bonariensis L. extract by LC/MS and evaluation of the hepatoprotective potential with isoniazid- and rifampicin-induced hepatotoxicity in rats

The study explored the hepatoprotective activity and metabolic profile of Verbena bonariensis L. methanol extract (VBM) and fractions using isoniazid as well as rifampicin-triggered liver toxicity in Wistar albino rats. Metabolite profiling of VBM using HPLC-PDA-ESI-MS identified 12 compounds, mainly iridoids, phenylpropanoids, and flavonoids, where verbascoside represents the major compound. Different biochemical parameters such as aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bilirubin, and total protein levels were used to assess liver functions. All the evaluated samples exhibited hepatoprotective potential, but VBM exhibited maximum activity and a notable decline in ALP (p < 0.05, significant), even better than the standard drug (silymarin). VBM significantly reduced the elevated ALT, AST, ALP, and total bilirubin. It also triggered a significant elevation in total proteins compared with diseased animals. This was further consolidated by histopathological studies. Verbena bonariensis L. could serve as a potent hepatoprotective agent and may alleviate liver ailments.

Microwave and ultrasound extraction of antioxidant phenolic compounds from Lantana camara Linn. leaves: Optimization, comparative study, and FT-Orbitrap MS analysis

INTRODUCTION

The species Lantana camara is used in folk medicine. The biological activities of this medicinal plant are attributable to the presence of various derivatives of triterpenoids and phenolic compounds present in its preparations, indicating excellent economic potential.

OBJECTIVE

In this study, the operational conditions of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) were optimized using Box-Behnken design to improve the total phenolic content (TPC) recovered in hydroethanolic extracts of L. camara leaves.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The TPC, total flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant activities of the hydroalcoholic extracts of L. camara, prepared by UAE and MAE under the optimized extraction conditions, were compared with those of the extracts obtained by conventional extraction methods.

RESULTS

Under the optimal conditions, the extracts obtained by UAE (35% ethanol, 25 min, and a solvent-to-solid ratio of 60:1 mL/g) and by MAE (53% ethanol, 15 min, and 300 W) provided high yields of 32.50% and 38.61% and TPC values of 102.89 and 109.83 mg GAE/g DW, respectively. The MAE extract showed the best results with respect to TPC, TFC, and antioxidant activities, followed by extracts obtained by UAE, Soxhlet extraction, decoction, maceration, and infusion, in that order.

CONCLUSION

The results obtained indicate that L. camara may be used as an important source of antioxidant phenolic compounds to obtain products with high biological and economic potential, especially when the extraction process is performed under appropriate conditions using MAE and/or UAE, employing environmentally friendly solvents such as water and ethanol.

Plant-Derived Caffeic Acid and Its Derivatives: An Overview of Their NMR Data and Biosynthetic Pathways

In recent years, caffeic acid and its derivatives have received increasing attention due to their obvious physiological activities and wide distribution in nature. In this paper, to clarify the status of research on plant-derived caffeic acid and its derivatives, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy data and possible biosynthetic pathways of these compounds were collected from scientific databases (SciFinder, PubMed and China Knowledge). According to different types of substituents, 17 caffeic acid and its derivatives can be divided into the following classes: caffeoyl ester derivatives, caffeyltartaric acid, caffeic acid amide derivatives, caffeoyl shikimic acid, caffeoyl quinic acid, caffeoyl danshens and caffeoyl glycoside. Generalization of their 13C-NMR and 1H-NMR data revealed that acylation with caffeic acid to form esters involves acylation shifts, which increase the chemical shift values of the corresponding carbons and decrease the chemical shift values of the corresponding carbons of caffeoyl. Once the hydroxyl group is ester, the hydrogen signal connected to the same carbon shifts to the low field (1.1~1.6). The biosynthetic pathways were summarized, and it was found that caffeic acid and its derivatives are first synthesized in plants through the shikimic acid pathway, in which phenylalanine is deaminated to cinnamic acid and then transformed into caffeic acid and its derivatives. The purpose of this review is to provide a reference for further research on the rapid structural identification and biofabrication of caffeic acid and its derivatives.

Isolation and structure elucidation of the compounds from Teucrium hyrcanicum L. and the investigation of cytotoxicity, antioxidant activity, and protective effect on hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress

BACKGROUND

Teucrium hyrcanicum L. (family Lamiaceae) is widely distributed in the North and Northwest of Iran. It has been used in the form of tea, tonic, and tincture for the treatment of various diseases such as cough, rheumatism, and fever.

METHODS

In this study, the total phenolic and flavonoid contents, antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of methanol extract and different fractions of T. hyrcanicum were measured. Furthermore, the potential ability of T. hyrcanicum to protect against H2O2-induced oxidative stress was tested on the NIH3T3 cell line. Then, the isolation and structure elucidation of the compounds were performed on the most potent fractions. Finally, the quantification of isolated compounds in methanol extract (ME) was done by the HPLC method. Isolated phytochemicals were assessed for the cytotoxic and antioxidant activities.

RESULTS

The results indicated that the methanol fraction (MF) had the highest amount of phenolic and flavonoid contents (69.36 mg GAE/g extract and 68.95 mg QE/g extract). The highest radical scavenging activities were observed from MF and ME (IC50 44.32 and 61.12 μg.ml-1, respectively). The best cytotoxicity was obtained by ethyl acetate fraction (EF) against A431 and MCF7 cell lines (IC50 values of 235.4and 326.6 μg.ml-1, respectively). The pretreatment with MF exerts the highest reduction in malondialdehyde (MDA) formation (IC50 2.51 μM, p < 0.001) compared to the H2O2 group (5.77 μM). Also, MF significantly inhibited H2O2-induced Glutathione (GSH) oxidation (p < 0.001). Furthermore, two phenolic compounds, acteoside and quercetin, were isolated and identified in MF and EF, respectively. The IC50 values of acteoside and quercetin in the DPPH assay were 7.19 and 5.56 µg.ml-1, respectively. Both quercetin and acteoside significantly reduced the MDA formation and inhibited GSH oxidation, which was comparable with BHA (as a standard antioxidant) (p < 0.05). Acteoside demonstrated significant cytotoxicity against all tested cell lines (IC50 = 32 to 145 μg.ml-1). The HPLC quantification of isolated compounds revealed that the quantity of acteoside and quercetin in ME were 93.31 and 16.87 μg.mg-1, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The isolated compounds (quercetin and acteoside) had significant antioxidant activities and revealed a protective effect on H2O2-induced oxidative stress which was comparable with BHA.

Characterization and bioactivities of M. arvensis, V. officinalis and P. glabrum: In-silico modeling of V. officinalis as a potential drug source

In current study the pharmaceutically active herbs was used against coccidiosis, caused by a protozoan: Eimeria, lead to $ 3 billion loss annually. The aqueous and methanolic extracts of whole plants were applied in-vitro to assess sporulation inhibition (spi) assay and calculated the inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀). For in-vivo study 9 groups of 14 day old broiler chicks were infected with Eimeria tenella and three groups were treated different concentrations of methanolic extracts of Verbena officinalis and Polygonum glabrum post infection. The mean weight gain, oocyst count, diarrhea, biochemical tests, hematology, and histopathology of all groups were analyzed. The herbs were characterized by antioxidant assay, phytochemical screening, Fourier transmission and infrared (FT-IR), Ultra Violet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy and Gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). The GC-MS identified phyto-compounds of V. officinalis were docked with S-Adenosyl methionine (SAM) synthetase. The in-vitro study revealed that V. officinalis and P. glabrum have minimum IC₅₀ of 0.14 and 12 mg/ml respectively. The in-vivo experiment showed that V. officinalis had significantly high anticoccidial potential with significant hematological profile like drug treated controls. The histology of treated chicks also showed recovery in the studied tissues. The antioxidant assay showed that V. officinalis have 4.19U/mg Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and 33.96 µM/mg Glutathione (GSH) quantities. The chemical characterization confirmed the presence of large number of organic compounds, however Flavonoids found only in V. officinalis, which suggests the anticoccidial potential of V. officinalis because flavonoids as antagonist of thiamine (Prinzo, 1999), because it promotes the carbohydrate synthesis required. Strychane, 1-acetyl-20a-hydroxy-16-methylene has best binding of with target protein with lowest binding score (-6.4 Kcal/mol), suggests its anticoccidial potential in poultry.

Exercise Training and Verbena officinalis L. Affect Pre-Clinical and Histological Parameters

Verbena officinalis L. or vervain is an herbal medicine and dietary supplement used worldwide. It is used for antidepressant and anticonvulsant purposes, as well as to treat inflammatory disorders, skin burns, abrasions, and gastric diseases, among others. Here, we investigated the biochemical, antioxidant, and histopathological effects of vervain against chronic physical stress. Male Wistar rats were submitted to chronic physical training and oral administration of 200 mg/kg of extract for 7 weeks. Control animals were not treated with either stress or vervain. Body weight was monitored during the study. Liver, kidney, spleen, testis, epididymis, heart, skeletal muscle, and brain samples were collected. Blood cholesterol, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), bilirubin, and creatinine kinase (CREA), among others, were studied. Glutathione peroxidase (GPox) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) antioxidant activity was analyzed in the blood, liver, and kidney. Testosterone measurements were also performed on whole testis extracts. We found significant weight ratios differences in the epididymis, brain, and heart. Animals submitted to training showed hemorrhagic livers. Kidney histology was affected by both stress and vervain. Cell disruption and vacuolization were observed in the testes and epididymis of animals submitted to stress. Hematological and biochemical markers as CREA, LDH, TP, CKI, URCA, γGT, and glucose revealed statistically significantly differences. Additionally, the activity of glutathione peroxide (GPox) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the blood was also impacted. Both stress and vervain have significant in vivo effects. Infusions of vervain include phenylpropanoids, iridoids, verbenalin, hastatoside, and flavonoids, amongst others, which interact synergistically to produce the preclinical effects reported here.

Metabolic Profiling by GC-MS, In Vitro Biological Potential, and In Silico Molecular Docking Studies of Verbena officinalis

Verbena officinalis L. is a traditionally important medicinal herb that has a rich source of bioactive phytoconstituents with biological benefits. The objective of this study was to assess the metabolic profile and in vitro biological potential of V. officinalis. The bioactive phytoconstituents were evaluated by preliminary phytochemical studies, estimation of polyphenolic contents, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of all fractions (crude methanolic, n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol) of V. officinalis. The biological investigation was performed by different assays including antioxidant assays (DPPH, ABTS, CUPRAC, and FRAP), enzyme inhibition assays (urease and α-glucosidase), and hemolytic activity. The ethyl acetate extract had the maximum concentration of total phenolic and total flavonoid contents (394.30 ± 1.09 mg GAE·g^-1 DE and 137.35 ± 0.94 mg QE·g^-1 DE, respectively). Significant antioxidant potential was observed in all fractions by all four antioxidant methods. Maximum urease inhibitory activity in terms of IC₅₀ value was shown by ethyl acetate fraction (10 ± 1.60 µg mL^-1) in comparison to standard hydroxy urea (9.8 ± 1.20 µg·mL^-1). The n-hexane extract showed good α-glucosidase inhibitory efficacy (420 ± 20 µg·mL^-1) as compared to other extract/fractions. Minimum hemolytic activity was found in crude methanolic fraction (6.5 ± 0.94%) in comparison to positive standard Triton X-100 (93.5 ± 0.48%). The GC-MS analysis of all extract/fractions of V. officinalis including crude methanolic, n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol fractions, resulted in the identification of 24, 56, 25, and 9 bioactive compounds, respectively, with 80% quality index. Furthermore, the bioactive compounds identified by GC-MS were analyzed using in silico molecular docking studies to determine the binding affinity between ligands and enzymes (urease and α-glucosidase). In conclusion, V. officinalis possesses multiple therapeutical potentials, and further research is needed to explore its use in the treatment of chronic diseases.

In Vitro Antimelanoma Properties of Verbena officinalis Fractions

Verbena officinalis is commonly used in traditional medicine to treat many ailments. Extracts of this plant are therapeutic agents for the potential treatment of different diseases, including colorectal and liver cancers, but have not been explored for their anti-melanoma potential so far. The goal of the current work was to prepare a methanolic extract and fractionate it using hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, butanol, and acetone to get semi-purified products. These semi-purified fractions were studied for their potency against melanoma cell lines. The three potent fractions (HA, VO79, and EA3) demonstrated 50% inhibition concentration (IC₅₀) values as low as 2.85 µg/mL against the LOX IMVI cell line. All three fractions showed similar potency in inhibiting the growth of the B16 cells, a murine melanoma cell line. Based on high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) data, for the first time, we report on lupulone A from this plant. LC-MS data also indicated the presence of hedergonic acid, serjanic acid, and other compounds in V. officinalis extracts.

Cancer and Traditional Plant Knowledge, an Interesting Field to Explore: Data from the Catalan Linguistic Area

Cancer is the second cause of death in the world and is foreseen to be responsible for about 16 million deaths in 2040. Approximately, 60% of the drugs used to treat cancer are of natural origin. Besides the extensive use of some of these drugs in therapies, such as those derived from the genus Taxus, a significant number of plants have revealed themselves as useful against cancer in recent years. The field of ethnobotany focuses on documenting traditional knowledge associated with plants, constituting a starting point to uncover the potential of new plant-based drugs to treat or prevent, in this case, tumour diseases and side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. From a series of extensive ethnobotanical prospections across the Catalan linguistic area (CLA), we have recorded uses for 41 taxa with antitumour effects. The two most quoted botanical families are Asteraceae and Ranunculaceae, and the most frequently reported species is Ranunculus parnassifolius, a high-mountain species, which is widely collected for this purpose. The reported species have been used to treat an important number of cancer types, focusing on preventive, palliative, and curative uses, as well as to deal with the side effects of conventional treatments. Comparing our results in CLA with previous data available in the most comprehensive databases of pharmacology and a review of cytotoxicity assays revealed that for the several species reported here, there was no previous evidence of traditional uses against cancer. Despite the need for further analyses to experimentally validate the information presented here, combining traditional uses and phylogenetically-informed strategies to phytochemical and pharmacological research would represent new avenues to establish more integrative approaches, hence improving the ability to select new candidate taxa in cancer research.

Preclinical Drug Discovery in Colorectal Cancer: A Focus on Natural Compounds

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is considered one of the most predominant and deadly cancer globally. Nowadays, the main clinical management for this cancer includes chemotherapy and surgery; however, these treatments result in the occurrence of drug resistance and severe side effects, and thus it is a crucial requirement to discover an alternative and potential therapy for CRC treatment. Numerous therapeutic cancers were initially recognized from natural metabolites utilized in traditional medicine, and several recent types of research have shown that many natural products own potential effects against CRC and may assist the action of chemotherapy for the treatment of CRC. It has been indicated that most patients are well tolerated by natural compounds without showing any toxicity signs even at high doses. Conventional chemotherapeutics interaction with natural medicinal compounds presents a new feature in cancer exploration and treatment. Most of the natural compounds overwhelm malignant cell propagation by apoptosis initiation of CRC cells and arresting of the cell cycle (especially at G, S, and G2/M phase) that result in inhibition of tumor growth.

OBJECTIVE

This mini-review aimed to focus on natural compounds (alkaloids, flavonoids, polysaccharides, polyphenols, terpenoids, lactones, quinones, etc.) that were identified to have anti- CRC activity in vitro on CRC cell lines and/or in vivo experiments on animal models.

CONCLUSION

Most of the studied active natural compounds possess anti-CRC activity via different mechanisms and pathways in vitro and in vivo that might be used as assistance by clinicians to support chemotherapy therapeutic strategy and treatment doses for cancer patients.

Verbena officinalis (Common Vervain) - A Review on the Investigations of This Medicinally Important Plant Species

Verbena officinalis (common vervain) is a medicinal plant species widely distributed in the world and commonly used in folk medicine of different countries, including traditional Chinese medicine. Monographs on "Verbenae herba" have been included in the European Pharmacopoeia since 2008, and in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia since 1995. This work presents botanical characteristics of this species. It reviews the current knowledge of its chemical composition, which is a rich source mostly of iridoids, phenylpropanoid glycosides, phenolic acids, flavonoids, terpenoids, and essential oil. A large part of this article summarizes traditional medicinal uses and professional pharmacological in vitro and in vivo studies that prove new important applications, e.g., antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective anticancer, analgesic, or anticonvulsant of verbena herb extracts and individual metabolites. Moreover, emphasis is put on the use of V. officinalis in the food and cosmetics industries, especially due to its antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties, and the presence of essential oil with an attractive fragrance composition. This paper also presents the state of biotechnological studies of this species.

A review on the structure and pharmacological activity of phenylethanoid glycosides

Phenylethanoid glycosides (PhGs) are compounds made of phenylethyl alcohol, caffeic acid and glycosyl moieties. The first published references about phenylethanoid glycosides concerned the isolation of echinacoside from Echinaceu ungustifolia (Asteraceae) in 1950 and verbascoside from Verbascum sinuatum (Scrophulariaceae) in 1963. Over the past 60 years, many compounds with these structural characteristics have been isolated from natural sources, and most of these compounds possess significant bioactivities, including antibacterial, antitumor, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, neuro-protective, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, and immunomodulatory activities, among others. In this review, we will summarize the phenylethanoid glycosides described in recent papers and list all the compounds that have been isolated over the past few decades. We will also attempt to present and assess recent studies about the separation, extraction, determination, and pharmacological activity of the excellent natural components, phenylethanoid glycosides.

Therapeutic potential of phenylethanoid glycosides: A systematic review

Phenylethanoid glycosides (PhGs) are generally water-soluble phenolic compounds that occur in many medicinal plants. Until June 2020, more than 572 PhGs have been isolated and identified. PhGs possess antibacterial, anticancer, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antiobesity, antioxidant, antiviral, and neuroprotective properties. Despite these promising benefits, PhGs have failed to fulfill their therapeutic applications due to their poor bioavailability. The attempts to understand their metabolic pathways to improve their bioavailability are investigated. In this review article, we will first summarize the number of PhGs compounds which is not accurate in the literature. The latest information on the biological activities, structure-activity relationships, mechanisms, and especially the clinical applications of PhGs will be reviewed. The bioavailability of PhGs will be summarized and factors leading to the low bioavailability will be analyzed. Recent advances in methods such as bioenhancers and nanotechnology to improve the bioavailability of PhGs are also summarized. The existing scientific gaps of PhGs in knowledge are also discussed, highlighting research directions in the future.

Medicinal Plants in the Prevention and Treatment of Colon Cancer

The standard treatment for cancer is generally based on using cytotoxic drugs, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and surgery. However, the use of traditional treatments has received attention in recent years. The aim of the present work was to provide an overview of medicinal plants effective on colon cancer with special emphasis on bioactive components and underlying mechanisms of action. Various literature databases, including Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus, were used and English language articles were considered. Based on literature search, 172 experimental studies and 71 clinical cases on 190 plants were included. The results indicate that grape, soybean, green tea, garlic, olive, and pomegranate are the most effective plants against colon cancer. In these studies, fruits, seeds, leaves, and plant roots were used for in vitro and in vivo models. Various anticolon cancer mechanisms of these medicinal plants include induction of superoxide dismutase, reduction of DNA oxidation, induction of apoptosis by inducing a cell cycle arrest in S phase, reducing the expression of PI3K, P-Akt protein, and MMP as well; reduction of antiapoptotic Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL proteins, and decrease of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), cyclin A, cyclin D1, cyclin B1 and cyclin E. Plant compounds also increase both the expression of the cell cycle inhibitors p53, p21, and p27, and the BAD, Bax, caspase 3, caspase 7, caspase 8, and caspase 9 proteins levels. In fact, purification of herbal compounds and demonstration of their efficacy in appropriate in vivo models, as well as clinical studies, may lead to alternative and effective ways of controlling and treating colon cancer.

Acute and subacute toxicity and chemical constituents of the hydroethanolic extract of Verbena litoralis Kunth

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Verbena litoralis Kunth is a native species of South America, popularly known as gervãozinho-do-campo or erva-de-pai-caetano. It is used in gastrointestinal disorders, as detoxifying the organism, antifebrile properties and amidaglitis.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To identify the chemical constituents of the hydroethanolic extract obtained from the aerial parts of V. litoralis and to evaluate the acute and sub-acute toxicity in male and female rats.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The single dose (2000 mg/kg) of the extract was administered orally to male and female rats. In the subacute study the extract was given at doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg during 28 days orally. Biochemical, hematological and histological analyzes were performed, oxidative stress markers were tested and chemical constituents were identified through UHPLC-ESI-HRMS RESULTS: Six classes of metabolites were identified: iridoids glycosides, flavonoids, phenylpropanoids-derived, phenylethanoid-derived, cinnamic acid-derived and triterpenes. In the acute treatment, the extract was classified as safe (category 5), according to the OECD guide. Our results demonstrated that subacute administration of the crude extract of V. litoralis at 400 mg/kg resulted in an increase in AST in males, whereas ALT enzyme showed a small increase in males that received 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg of the extract.

CONCLUSIONS

The extract of the aerial parts of Verbena litoralis did not present significant toxicity when administered a single dose. However, when different doses were administered for 28 days, were observed changes in hematological, biochemical and histological parameters in rats.

Anticonvulsant, Anxiolytic, and Sedative Activities of Verbena officinalis

We describe different neuropharmacological effects of Verbena officinalis crude extract (Vo.Cr). Pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced seizures, elevated plus maze, light-dark box (LDB), open field and thiopental-induced sleeping test models were employed to evaluate Vo.Cr actions in mice. Vo.Cr dose-dependently (100-500 mg/Kg) delayed onset time of myoclonic jerks and tonic-clonic seizures, while decreased duration of tonic-clonic seizures (P < 0.05, P < 0.001 vs. saline group). Vo.Cr at 100 and 300-500 mg/Kg doses reduced animals' mortality in PTZ-induced seizures test to 75 and 0%, respectively. Vo.Cr (50-300 mg/Kg) significantly increased time spent and number of entries into open arms, while decreased time spent and number of entries into closed arms (P < 0.05, P < 0.01, P < 0.001 vs. saline group), measured in elevated plus maze. Vo.Cr (50-300 mg/Kg) increased time spent in light compartment, while decreased time spent in dark compartment (P < 0.01, P < 0.001 vs. saline group) in LDB, like caused by diazepam. In open field test, Vo.Cr decreased number of ambulations and rearings frequencies, while increased the number of central squares crossings. In thiopental-induced sleeping test, Vo.Cr (50-300 mg/Kg) decreased onset time of sleep, while increased the duration of sleep (P < 0.05, P < 0.01, P < 0.001 vs. saline group). These results indicate that Verbena officinalis possess anticonvulsant, anxiolytic and sedative activities, which provides scientific background for its medicinal application in various neurological ailments, such as epilepsy, anxiety, and insomnia.