Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Ceará, Rua Cel. Nunes de Melo 1127, 60430-270 Fortaleza, Brazil.
Fundam Clin Pharmacol. 2010 Aug;24(4):437-43. doi: 10.1111/j.1472-8206.2009.00788.x. Epub 2009 Nov 10.
Carvacrol (5-isopropyl-2-methylphenol) is a monoterpenic phenol present in the essencial oil of many plants. It is the major component of the essential oil fraction of oregano and thyme. This work presents the behavioral effects of carvacrol in animal models of elevated plus maze (EPM), open field, Rotarod and barbiturate-induced sleeping time tests in mice. Carvacrol (CVC) was administered orally, in male mice, at single doses of 12.5; 25 and 50 mg/kg while diazepam 1 or 2 mg/kg was used as standard drug and flumazenil (2.5 mg/kg) was used to elucidate the possible anxiolytic mechanism of CVC on the plus maze test. The results showed that CVC, at three doses, had no effect on the spontaneous motor activity in the Rotarod test nor in the number of squares crossed in the open-field test. However, CVC decreased the number of groomings in the open-field test. In the plus maze test, CVC, at three doses significantly increased all the observed parameters in the EPM test and flumazenil was able to reverse the effects of diazepam and CVC. Therefore, CVC did not alter the sleep latency and sleeping time in the barbiturate-induced sleeping time test. These results show that CVC presents anxiolytic effects in the plus maze test which are not influenced by the locomotor activity in the open-field test.
香芹酚（5-异丙基-2-甲基苯酚）是一种存在于许多植物精油中的单萜酚。它是牛至和百里香精油部分的主要成分。本工作介绍了香芹酚在高架十字迷宫（EPM）、旷场、旋转棒和巴比妥类药物诱导的睡眠时间测试等动物模型中的行为效应。香芹酚（CVC）以 12.5、25 和 50 mg/kg 的单剂量口服给予雄性小鼠，而地西泮 1 或 2 mg/kg 被用作标准药物，氟马西尼（2.5 mg/kg）用于阐明 CVC 在加迷宫测试中对焦虑的可能作用机制。结果表明，CVC 在三个剂量下对旋转棒测试中的自发运动活动或旷场测试中的穿越方格数均没有影响。然而，CVC 减少了旷场测试中的梳理次数。在加迷宫测试中，CVC 在三个剂量下显著增加了 EPM 测试中的所有观察到的参数，氟马西尼能够逆转地西泮和 CVC 的作用。因此，CVC 不会改变巴比妥类药物诱导的睡眠时间测试中的睡眠潜伏期和睡眠时间。这些结果表明，CVC 在加迷宫测试中表现出抗焦虑作用，而不会受到旷场测试中运动活动的影响。
