Terpenoids derived from Semen Ziziphi Spinosae oil enhance sleep by modulating neurotransmitter signaling in mice

Semen Ziziphi Spinosae oil (SZSO) is a natural vegetable oil extracted from Semen Ziziphi Spinosae, a traditional Chinese medicine renowned for its sleep-promoting properties, while the mechanisms are still unclear. Our findings revealed that the terpenoids present in SZSO (T-SZSO) were identified as the active components responsible for promoting sleep. Network pharmacological analysis suggested that T-SZSO targeted different sleep-aid pathways to varying degrees and exhibited potential for preventing central nervous system diseases. Notably, lupeol and betulinicaldehyde exhibited more pronounced effects. Additionally, T-SZSO significantly elevated serotonin levels, enhanced gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) synthesis, promoted GABA A receptor expression, and decreased glutamate and norepinephrine expression levels. Moreover, T-SZSO was found to downregulate IL-1β expression while upregulating superoxide dismutase and inducible nitric oxide synthase levels. In conclusion, this study presents the first investigation into the pharmacological basis of SZSO in promoting sleep and highlights the potential of nature food in improving suboptimal health conditions.

Antinociceptive effects of flower extracts and the active fraction from Styrax japonicus

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Flowers from Styrax japonicus sieb. et Zucc. have been used as a Chinese folk medicine to alleviate pain such as toothache and sore throat.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To testify the analgesic effect of flowers from Styrax japonicus, analyze components of the active fraction, and investigate the mechanism of analgesia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Flower extracts were obtained by ethanol, petroleum ether and hydrodistillation extraction. Different fractions of ethanol extracts (EE) were isolated by silica gel column chromatography and preparative liquid chromatography. Analgesic effects of EE, petroleum ether extracts (PEE), hydrodistillation extracts (HDE), and fractions of EE were evaluated using hot plate, acetic acid-induced writhing and formalin tests on mice. Components of the active fraction 1 (F1) were determined by the ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography Q extractive mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QE-MS). Anti-inflammatory and sedative effects involving analgesic mechanisms were evaluated by carrageenan induced hind paw oedema and pentobarbital sodium sleep tests, respectively. In addition, antagonists including naloxone hydrochloride (NXH), flumazenil (FM), SCH23390 (SCH) and WAY100635 (WAY) were used to investigate the possible mechanism of analgesia. Contents of neurotransmitters and relevant metabolites in different brain regions of mice were also quantified by the ultraperformance liquid chromatography with a fluorescence detector (UPLC-FLD).

RESULTS

EE rather than PEE and HDE at medium and high doses (150 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg) significantly prolonged the latency time of the response of mice to the thermal stimulation in the hot plate test. Moreover, EE significantly decreased number of writhes in the acetic acid-induced writhing test, and reduced licking time in both two phases of the formalin test in a dose-dependent manner. The F1 (50 mg/kg) showed effective antinociceptive responses in all mice models. However, fraction 2 (F2) and fraction 3 (F3) at 50 mg/kg performed no analgesic action. Kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, isorhamnetin-3-O-rutinoside, pinoresinol-4-O-glucoside, forsythin and arctiin were identified from components of the F1. Furthermore, F1 (50 mg/kg) did not significantly affect hind paw oedema of mice induced by carrageenan but significantly shortened sleep latency and increased sleep duration in the pentobarbital sodium sleep test. In addition, the antinociceptive response of F1 was not affected by NXH in two mice models, but significantly blocked by FM and WAY in the hot plate test. In the formalin test, FM avoided the effect of F1 only in the first phase, while the analgesic activity of F1 was totally suppressed by WAY in both two phases. Otherwise, contents of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) increased significantly in hippocampus and striatum of mice in the F1 group.

CONCLUSION

EE from flowers of Styrax japonicus, and F1, the active part isolated from EE, showed significant antinociceptive activities. The analgesic effect of F1 appeared to be related to the sedative effect, partially mediated by the GABAergic system, and highly involved in the serotonergic system. This was the first study confirming the analgesic effect of Styrax japonicus flower, which provided a candidate for the development of non-opioid analgesics.

Mechanisms Underlying the Action of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen in the Treatment of Insomnia: A Study Involving Network Pharmacology and Experimental Validation

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the potential mechanisms and related bioactive components of ZSS for the treatment of insomnia. Method: The insomnia model of rat induced by PCPA was established. After oral administration of ZSS extract, the general morphological observation, pentobarbital sodium-induced sleep test and histopathological evaluation were carried out. Network pharmacology, assisted by UHPLC-Q-Exactive-MS/MS analysis, was developed to identify the targets of ZSS in the treatment of insomnia, as well as the corresponding signaling pathways. In addition, we validated the identified targets and pathways by RT-qPCR and immunohistochemical analysis. Results: The pentobarbital sodium-induced sleep test, determination of 5-HT and GABA levles in hypothalamic tissues and HE staining showed that ZSS extract was an effective treatment for insomnia. Network pharmacology analysis identified a total of 19 candidate bioactive ingredients in ZSS extract, along with 433 potentially related targets. Next, we performed protein-protein interaction (PPI), MCODE clustering analysis, GO functional enrichment analysis, KEGG pathway enrichment analysis, and ingredient-target-pathway (I-T-P) sub-networks analysis. These methods allowed us to investigate the synergistic therapeutic effects of crucial pathways, including the serotonergic and GABAergic synapse pathways. Our analyses revealed that palmitic acid, coclaurine, jujuboside A, N-nornuciferine, caaverine, magnoflorine, jujuboside B, and betulinic acid, all played key roles in the regulation of these crucial pathways. Finally, we used the PCPA-induced insomnia in rats to validate the data generated by network pharmacology; these in vivo experiments clearly showed that pathways associated with the serotonergic and GABAergic system were activated in the rats model. Furthermore, ZSS treatment significantly suppressed high levels of HTR1A, GABRA1, and GABRG2 expression in the hypothalamus and reduced the expression levels of HTR2A. Conclusion: Based on the combination of comprehensive network pharmacology and in vivo experiments, we successfully identified the potential pharmacological mechanisms underlying the action of ZSS in the treatment of insomnia. The results provide a theoretical basis for further development and utilization of ZSS, and also provide support for the development of innovative drugs for the treatment of insomnia.

Ethnomedicine and neuropsychopharmacology in Mesoamerica

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The burden of disease caused by mental and neurological disorders is increasing globally, to a disproportionate degree in Latin America. In contrast to the many psychoactive plants with a use history in Mesoamerican cultures, the translation to the wider population of knowledge around numerous botanicals used contemporarily by indigenous Mesoamerican societies to treat psychological and neurological disorders did not receive the same attention.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We used the previously published Mesoamerican Medicinal Plant Database to extract species and associated botanical drugs used as treatments for illnesses associated with the nervous system by Mesoamerican cultures in Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico. With the critical use of published pharmacological literature, the cross-culturally most salient genera are systematically reviewed.

RESULTS

From 2188 plant taxa contained in the database 1324 are used as treatments for illnesses associated with the nervous system. The ethnomedical data was critically confronted with the available biomedical literature for the 58 cross-culturally most salient genera. For a considerable proportion of the frequently used taxa, preclinical data are available, mostly validating ethnomedicinal uses.

CONCLUSION

This quantitative approach facilitates the prioritization of taxa for future pre-clinical, clinical and treatment outcome studies and gives patients, practitioners, and legislators a fundamental framework of evidence, on which to base decisions regarding phytomedicines.

Alternative Extraction Methods of Essential Oil From the Flowers of Citrus aurantium L. Var Daidai Tanaka: Evaluation of Oil Quality and Sedative-Hypnotic Activity

The aim of this study was to analyze the content of hypnotic components in the essential oil from Citrus aurantium flowers (EDD), extracted by different methods, and to characterize its sedative-hypnotic effects. The sedative-hypnotic capacity of EDD was evaluated using pentobarbital-induced sleeping assays, locomotor activity tests and GABAA receptor antagonists. The results showed that EDD extracted by steam and water distillation (SWD), hydrodistillation (HD), and ultrasound-assisted hydrodistillation (UHD) had as their main components linalool, linalyl acetate, and limonene, comprising more than 55% of the total peak area. Compared with EDD extracted by HD and UHD, the total content of linalool and linalyl acetate in EDD obtained by SWD was highest, whereas the content of limonene in EDD extracted by the 3 different methods was not different. Oral and intraperitoneal administration of EDD resulted in reduced sleep latency and increased sleep duration of mice, as well as reduced locomotor activity, which was proven by decreases in the total distance travelled, average velocity, number of activities, and central distance. Interestingly, intraperitoneal injection of EDD had better sedative and hypnotic effects than oral ingestion. In vitro assays using SH-SY5Y cells showed that EDD dose-dependently increased Cl− influx, which could be blocked by the GABAA receptor antagonists, picrotoxin, bicuculline, and flumazenil, suggesting that EDD promoted sedative-hypnotic activity by potentiating GABAA receptor-mediated Cl− current responses. Altogether, these results suggest that the important hypnotic-sedative activity of EDD appears to be due to the effects of limonene, and particularly the high contents of linalool and linalyl acetate, which were effectively extracted by SWD.

Agarwood Essential Oil Displays Sedative-Hypnotic Effects through the GABAergic System

Although agarwood has been used as a tranquilizer in Asian countries for hundreds of years, the underlying pharmacological basis is still unclear. This study investigated the sedative-hypnotic effect of agarwood essential oil (AEO) using locomotor activity and pentobarbital-induced sleeping assays in mice. Single (1-day) and multiple (7- and 14-days) administrations of 60 mg/kg AEO generated significant sedative effect on inhibiting locomotor activity and hypnotic effect on pentobarbital-induced sleeping in mice. Interestingly, prolonged AEO treatment did not result in obvious desensitization. Concoitant measurement of the levels of brain neurotransmitters using ultrafast liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UFLC-MS/MS) indicated that AEO had no significant effect on the levels of glutamic acid (Glu) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain. However, the sedative-hypnotic effects were blocked by the type A GABA (GABA_A) receptor antagonists bicuculline and flumazenil. In addition, AEO significantly elevated the expression of GABA_A receptor subunits and subtypes in the cerebral cortex. Furthermore, AEO increased chlorine ion (Cl⁻) influx through GABA_A receptors in human neuroblastoma cells. These results together demonstrate that AEO exerts its sedative-hypnotic effects through regulating gene expression of GABA_A receptors and potentiating GABA_A receptor function.

Chronic dosing with mirtazapine does not produce sedation in rats

Objective:

Sedation/somnolence are major side effects of pharmacotherapies for depression, and negatively affect long-term treatment compliance in depressed patients. Use of mirtazapine (MIR), an atypical antidepressant approved for the treatment of moderate to severe depression with comorbid anxiety disorders, is associated with significant sedation/somnolence, especially in short-term therapy. Nonetheless, studies with human subjects suggest that MIR-induced sedation is transient, especially when high and repeated doses are used. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of acute and chronic administration of different doses of MIR on sedation in the rat.

Methods:

Assessment of sedation was carried out behaviorally using the rotarod, spontaneous locomotor activity, and fixed-bar tests.

Results:

A 15-mg/kg dose of MIR induced sedative effects for up to 60 minutes, whereas 30 mg/kg or more produced sedation within minutes and only in the first few days of administration.

Conclusion:

These results suggest that 30 mg/kg is a safe, well-tolerated dose of MIR which generates only temporary sedative effects.

Black ginseng-enriched Chong-Myung-Tang extracts improve spatial learning behavior in rats and elicit anti-inflammatory effects in vitro

Background

Chong-Myung-Tang (CMT) extract is widely used in Korea as a traditional herbal tonic for increasing memory capacity in high-school students and also for numerous body ailments since centuries. The use of CMT to improve the learning capacity has been attributed to various plant constituents, especially black ginseng, in it. Therefore, in this study, we have first investigated whether black ginseng-enriched CMT extracts affected spatial learning using the Morris water maze (MWM) test. Their molecular mechanism of action underlying improvement of learning and memory was examined in vitro.

Methods

We used two types of black ginseng-enriched CMT extracts, designated as CM-1 and CM-2, and evaluated their efficacy in the MWM test for spatial learning behavior and their anti-inflammatory effects in BV2 microglial cells.

Results

Our results show that both black ginseng-enriched CMT extracts improved the learning behavior in scopolamine-induced impairment in the water maze test. Moreover, these extracts also inhibited nitric oxide production in BV2 cells, with significant suppression of expression of proinflammatory cytokines, especially inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, and interleukin-1β. The protein expression of mitogen-activated protein kinase and nuclear factor-κB pathway factors was also diminished by black ginseng-enriched CMT extracts, indicating that it not only improves the memory impairment, but also acts a potent anti-inflammatory agent for neuroinflammatory diseases.

Conclusion

Our research for the first time provides the scientific evidence that consumption of black ginseng-enriched CMT extract as a brain tonic improves memory impairment. Thus, our study results can be taken as a reference for future neurobehavioral studies.

The psychopharmacological activities of Vietnamese ginseng in mice: characterization of its psychomotor, sedative-hypnotic, antistress, anxiolytic, and cognitive effects

Background

Panax vietnamensis Ha et Grushv. or Vietnamese ginseng (VG) is a recently discovered ginseng species. Studies on its chemical constituents have shown that VG is remarkably rich in ginseng saponins, particularly ocotillol saponins. However, the psychopharmacological effects of VG have not been characterized. Thus, in the present study we screened the psychopharmacological activities of VG in mice.

Methods

VG extract (VGE) was orally administered to mice at various dosages to evaluate its psychomotor (open-field and rota-rod tests), sedative–hypnotic (pentobarbital-induced sleeping test), antistress (cold swimming test), anxiolytic (elevated plus-maze test), and cognitive (Y-maze and passive-avoidance tests) effects.

Results

VGE treatment increased the spontaneous locomotor activity, enhanced the endurance to stress, reduced the anxiety-like behavior, and ameliorated the scopolamine-induced memory impairments in mice. In addition, VGE treatment did not alter the motor balance and coordination of mice and did not potentiate pentobarbital-induced sleep, indicating that VGE has no sedative-hypnotic effects. The effects of VGE were comparable to those of the Korean Red Ginseng extract.

Conclusion

VG, like other ginseng products, has significant and potentially useful psychopharmacological effects. This includes, but is not limited to, psychomotor stimulation, anxiolytic, antistress, and memory enhancing effects.