Protective effect of BR-16A (Mentat), a herbal preparation on alcohol abstinence-induced anxiety and convulsions.

Chronic administration of ethanol (2-5 g/kg, po) on days 1 to 6 and its withdrawal produced anxiogenic reaction in mice and rats as assessed on the elevated plus-maze. Daily administration of BR-16A (100 mg/kg) prior to ethanol intoxication for 6 days prevented withdrawal induced anxiety in both rats and mice. However, acute administration of a single dose of BR-16A, to animals withdrawn from ethanol, i.e. on the 7th day, showed significant anxiogenic response. Ethanol withdrawal also sensitized the convulsogenic reaction to pentylenetetrazole (PTZ). A non-convulsive dose (40 or 60 mg/kg) of PTZ produced full blown convulsions and increased mortality in ethanol withdrawn rats and mice, respectively. Both acute and chronic administration of BR-16A (100 mg/kg) exhibited significant protection against ethanol withdrawal-induced reduction in PTZ threshold in rats and mice. The results suggest the usefulness of this safe herbal psychotropic preparation in the management of ethanol withdrawal reactions.