Collectively , the literature reveals pre clinical and clinical evidence for various phytomedicines modulating GABA-pathways , with comparative anxiolytic effect to the current array of pharmaceuticals , along with good safety and tolerability profiles
Anxiety disorders are chronic and functionally disabling conditions with high psychological stress , characterised by cognitive symptoms of excessive worry and focus difficulties and physiological symptoms such as muscle tension and insomnia .
Gamma-aminobutyric acid ( GABA ) is an inhibitory neurotransmitter within the central nervous system and is a key target of pharmacotherapies in the treatment of anxiety .
Although current pharmaceutical treatments are often efficacious , they may cause undesirable side effects including cognitive decrements and withdrawal symptoms .
Plant-based " phytomedicines " may provide novel treatment options , to act as an adjunctive or alternative to existing anxiolytic medications .
As such , we conducted a systematic review to assess the current body of literature on anxiolytic phytomedicines and /or phytoconstituents .
Passiflora incarnata attenuation of neuropathic allodynia and vulvodynia apropos GABA-ergic and opioidergic antinociceptive and behavioural mechanisms
Background Passiflora incarnata is widely used as an anxiolytic and sedative due to its putative GABAergic properties . Passiflora incarnata L. methanolic extract ( PI-ME ) was evaluated in an animal model of streptozotocin-induced diabetic neuropathic allodynia and vulvodynia in rats along with antinociceptive , anxiolytic and sedative activities in mice in order to examine possible underlying mechanisms . Methods PI-ME was tested preliminary for qualitative phytochemical analysis and then quantitatively by proximate and GC-MS analysis . The antinociceptive property was evaluated using the abdominal constriction assay and hot plate test . The anxiolytic activity was performed in a stair case model and sedative activity in an open field test . The antagonistic activities were evaluated using naloxone and /or pentylenetetrazole ( PTZ ) . PI-ME was evaluated for prospect i ve anti-allodynic and anti-vulvodynic properties in a rat model of streptozotocin induced neuropathic pain using the static and dynamic testing paradigms of mechanical allodynia and vulvodynia . Results GC-MS analysis revealed that PI-ME contained predominant quantities of oleamide ( 9-octadecenamide ) , palmitic acid ( hexadecanoic acid ) and 3-hydroxy-dodecanoic acid , among other active constituents . In the abdominal constriction assay and hot plate test , PI-ME produced dose dependant , naloxone and pentylenetetrazole reversible antinociception suggesting an involvement of opioidergic and GABAergic mechanisms . In the stair case test , PI-ME at 200 mg/kg increased the number of steps climbed while at 600 mg/kg a significant decrease was observed . The rearing incidence was diminished by PI-ME at all tested doses and in the open field test , PI-ME decreased locomotor activity to an extent that was analagous to diazepam . The effects of PI-ME were antagonized by PTZ in both the staircase and open field tests implicating GABAergic mechanisms in its anxiolytic and sedative activities . In the streptozotocin-induced neuropathic nociceptive model , PI-ME ( 200 and 300 mg/kg ) exhibited static and dynamic anti-allodynic effects exemplified by an increase in paw withdrawal threshold and paw withdrawal latency . PI-ME relieved only the dynamic component of vulvodynia by increasing flinching response latency . Conclusions These findings suggest that Passiflora incarnata might be useful for treating neuropathic pain . The antinociceptive and behavioural findings inferring that its activity may stem from underlying opioidergic and GABAergic mechanisms though a potential oleamide- source d cannabimimetic involvement is also discussed
Collectively , the literature reveals pre clinical and clinical evidence for various phytomedicines modulating GABA-pathways , with comparative anxiolytic effect to the current array of pharmaceuticals , along with good safety and tolerability profiles
Anxiety disorders are chronic and functionally disabling conditions with high psychological stress , characterised by cognitive symptoms of excessive worry and focus difficulties and physiological symptoms such as muscle tension and insomnia .
Gamma-aminobutyric acid ( GABA ) is an inhibitory neurotransmitter within the central nervous system and is a key target of pharmacotherapies in the treatment of anxiety .
Although current pharmaceutical treatments are often efficacious , they may cause undesirable side effects including cognitive decrements and withdrawal symptoms .
Plant-based " phytomedicines " may provide novel treatment options , to act as an adjunctive or alternative to existing anxiolytic medications .
As such , we conducted a systematic review to assess the current body of literature on anxiolytic phytomedicines and /or phytoconstituents .