Department of Natural Sciences, Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg, 53359 Rheinbach, Germany; Department of Pharmacy, International Islamic University Chittagong, 4318 Chittagong, Bangladesh.
Department of Pharmacy, International Islamic University Chittagong, 4318 Chittagong, Bangladesh.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2021 Mar 25;268:113664. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2020.113664. Epub 2020 Dec 3.
Aglaonema hookerianum Schott is an ethnomedicinally important plant used to treat a variety of diseases, including sexual and depression-like disorders. However, the scientific basis underlying the aforesaid properties have not been well justified.
The present investigation aimed to investigate the anxiolytic, antidepressant and aphrodisiac potentials of methanol leaves extract of A. hookerianum (MEAH) in Swiss albino mice.
MATERIALS & METHODS: Swiss albino mice (20-30 g) were orally administrated with MEAH at the doses ranging from 100 to 400 mg/kg, b.w. The elevated plus maze (EPM) and hole board test (HBT) were performed to determine the anxiolytic activity and the forced swimming test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST) were performed to determine the antidepressant activity of MEAH. Besides, the aphrodisiac activity of MEAH was conducted through the mounting behaviour and orientation behaviour analysis. Diazepam (1 mg/kg, b.w., i.p.) for EPM and HBT; fluoxetine HCl (20 mg/kg, b.w., p.o.) for FST and TST, and sildenafil (5 mg/kg, b.w., p.o.) for the mounting behaviour analysis and orientation behaviour analysis were used as reference drugs.
The administration of the MEAH produced a strong (p < 0.001) dose-dependent anxiolytic effects in both HBT and EPM tests. Likewise, the extract revealed a significant (p < 0.001) reduction in the immobility time in both FST and TST as compared to the control group. Besides, the MEAH also found to possess marked aphrodisiac activity complying several facets such as an increase in the sexual performance at the highest dose (400 mg/kg, p.o.) as well as the orientation toward female mice (p < 0.001) at all tested doses.
Taken together, MEAH can be recommended as a potent source of neuroprotective and a libido-boosting drug candidate for the management of neurological and sexual disorders.
Aglaonema hookerianum Schott 是一种具有民族医学重要性的植物，用于治疗多种疾病，包括性和抑郁障碍。然而，上述特性的科学基础尚未得到充分证明。
本研究旨在探讨甲醇叶提取物（MEAH）对瑞士白化病小鼠的抗焦虑、抗抑郁和壮阳作用。
口服给予瑞士白化病小鼠（20-30g）MEAH 剂量为 100 至 400mg/kg，b.w.。通过高架十字迷宫（EPM）和洞板试验（HBT）测定抗焦虑活性，通过强迫游泳试验（FST）和悬尾试验（TST）测定抗抑郁活性。此外，通过交配行为和定向行为分析来研究 MEAH 的壮阳作用。地西泮（1mg/kg，b.w.，i.p.）用于 EPM 和 HBT；氟西汀盐酸盐（20mg/kg，b.w.，p.o.）用于 FST 和 TST；西地那非（5mg/kg，b.w.，p.o.）用于交配行为分析和定向行为分析，均作为参考药物。
MEAH 给药产生了强烈的（p<0.001）剂量依赖性抗焦虑作用，在 HBT 和 EPM 试验中均如此。此外，与对照组相比，该提取物在 FST 和 TST 中显著（p<0.001）减少了不动时间。此外，MEAH 还表现出明显的壮阳作用，表现在最高剂量（400mg/kg，p.o.）下增加了性行为表现，以及在所有测试剂量下对雌性小鼠的定向行为（p<0.001）。
综上所述，MEAH 可以作为一种有效的神经保护和增强性欲的药物候选物，用于治疗神经和性障碍。
