Fajemiroye James Oluwagbamigbe, Galdino Pablinny Moreira, De Paula Joelma Abadia Marciano, Rocha Fagundes Fabio, Akanmu Moses A, Vanderlinde Frederico Argollo, Zjawiony Jordan K, Costa Elson Alves
Department of Physiological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Campus Samambaia, 74001-970, Goiania, GO, Brazil.
Food Funct. 2014 Aug;5(8):1819-28. doi: 10.1039/c4fo00109e.
(E)-methyl isoeugenol (MIE) is a natural food flavour that constitutes 93.7% of an essential oil from Pimenta pseudocaryophyllus leaf. The leaf extracts of this species are used as a calming agent. As a ubiquitous food additive, the application of MIE for treating mood disorders appears to be globally attractive. Hence, we sought to evaluate general pharmacological activities, anticonvulsant, anxiolytic and antidepressant effects and the possible mechanisms of MIE actions. Administration of MIE was carried out prior to the exposure of a male Swiss mice to general behavioural tests, barbiturate sleep, PTZ-induced convulsion, light dark box (LDB), elevated plus maze (EPM), wire hanging, open field (OF) and forced swimming test (FST). The involvement of monoamine system was studied by mice pretreatment with WAY100635 (antagonist of 5-HT1A), α-methyl-p-tyrosine (AMPT; depletor of catecholamine) or p-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA; depletor of serotonin storage). There was no record of neurotoxic effect or animal's death during the course of general pharmacological tests. MIE at 250 and 500 mg kg(-1) potentiated the hypnotic effect of sodium pentobarbital. However, MIE did not protect against PTZ-induced convulsion. Except for MIE at 500 mg kg(-1), parameters evaluated in the LDB, EPM and OF demonstrated an anxiolytic like property of MIE. This effect was blocked by WAY100635 pretreatment. MIE at 500 mg kg(-1) elicited a reduction in locomotor activity of the mice in the OF. Anti-immobility effect of MIE 250 mg kg(-1) in the FST suggested an antidepressive like property. Unlike AMPT, pretreatment with PCPA reversed the antidepressant like effect of MIE. Our findings demonstrated anxiolytic and antidepressant like properties of (E)-methyl isoeugenol and suggested the participation of serotonergic pathways.
（E）-甲基异丁香酚（MIE）是一种天然食用香料，占假丁香叶精油的93.7%。该物种的叶提取物用作镇静剂。作为一种普遍存在的食品添加剂，MIE用于治疗情绪障碍在全球范围内似乎具有吸引力。因此，我们试图评估MIE的一般药理活性、抗惊厥、抗焦虑和抗抑郁作用以及其作用的可能机制。在雄性瑞士小鼠进行一般行为测试、巴比妥类睡眠、戊四氮诱导惊厥、明暗箱（LDB）、高架十字迷宫（EPM）、悬线、旷场（OF）和强迫游泳试验（FST）之前给予MIE。通过用WAY100635（5-HT1A拮抗剂）、α-甲基-p-酪氨酸（AMPT；儿茶酚胺耗竭剂）或对氯苯丙氨酸（PCPA；5-羟色胺储存耗竭剂）预处理小鼠来研究单胺系统的参与情况。在一般药理试验过程中没有神经毒性作用或动物死亡的记录。250和500mg/kg（-1）的MIE增强了戊巴比妥钠的催眠作用。然而，MIE不能预防戊四氮诱导的惊厥。除了500mg/kg（-1）的MIE外，在LDB、EPM和OF中评估的参数显示MIE具有抗焦虑样特性。这种作用被WAY100635预处理阻断。500mg/kg（-1）的MIE使小鼠在OF中的运动活性降低。250mg/kg（-1）的MIE在FST中的抗不动效应表明具有抗抑郁样特性。与AMPT不同，PCPA预处理可逆转MIE的抗抑郁样作用。我们的研究结果证明了（E）-甲基异丁香酚具有抗焦虑和抗抑郁样特性，并提示5-羟色胺能途径参与其中。
