An improved method for toxicological profiling of chemical substances.

Toxicity profiling is an integral part of the drug discovery pipeline. The 3Rs principle-Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement, is considered a golden rule in determining the most appropriate approach for toxicity studies. The acute toxicity study with proper estimate of median lethal dose (LD) is usually an initial procedure for the determination of most suitable test doses for preclinical toxicological and pharmacological profiling.

and studies of essential oil reveal the potential harmful effects of habitual consumption of the plant seed.

G. Baker (Annonaceae), is a plant with nutritional, social economy, and medicinal values. Its rising medicinal profile makes this plant a prospect in drug discovery.

Memory enhancing, anticholinesterase and antimicrobial activities of β-phenylnitroethane and essential oil of Dennettia tripetala Baker f.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Dennettia tripetala Baker f. belonging to the family Annonaceae is an important food and medicinal plant used in some local communities in Southwest Nigeria.

Aims Of The Study: The study aims at determining the chemical composition of the essential oil of different morphological parts of D.

Neuropharmacological profile and chemical analysis of fresh rhizome essential oil of (turmeric) cultivated in Southwest Nigeria.

Background: (turmeric) is commonly used as spice and also used to treat fever, cough and febrile convulsions in Nigeria. This study determined the chemical composition of the essential oil of and evaluated its neuropharmacological activity in mice.

Methods: Essential oil of (EOCL) fresh rhizome was obtained by hydrodistillation and its chemical composition determined by GC-MS.

Foraging enrichment modulates open field response to monosodium glutamate in mice.

Background: Environmental enrichment can enhance expression of species-specific behaviour. While foraging enrichment is encouraged in laboratory animals, its impact on novelty induced behaviour remain largely unknown.

Purpose: Here, we studied behavioural response of mice to acute and subchronic oral monosodium glutamate (MSG) in an open field with /without foraging enrichment.

Caffeine/sleep-deprivation interaction in mice produces complex memory effects.

Background: Sleep deprivation negatively impacts memory, causing deficits in memory processes. Of interest is any agent that can offset such deficits. Mice were given varying doses of caffeine for 14 days and then deprived of sleep for 6 hours by the 'gentle handling' method.

Psychoneuropharmacological activities and chemical composition of essential oil of fresh fruits of Piper guineense (Piperaceae) in mice.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Piper guineense Schum & Thonn (Piperaceae) is a medicinal plant used in the Southern States of Nigeria to treat fever, mental disorders and febrile convulsions.

Aims Of The Study: This study aims at determining the chemical composition and the central nervous system (CNS) activities of the essential oil obtained from the plant׳s fresh fruits in order to rationalize its folkloric use.

Materials And Methods: Essential oil of P.

Effect of dehusked Garcinia kola seeds on the overall pharmacokinetics of quinine in healthy Nigerian volunteers.

We investigated the effect of concurrent ingestion of Garcinia kola seed on the pharmacokinetics of quinine. In a randomized crossover study, 24 healthy Nigerian volunteers were assigned into 2 groups (A and B; n = 12 per group) on the basis of G. kola dose orally ingested.

Anxiolytic and antidepressant like effects of natural food flavour (E)-methyl isoeugenol.

(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.

Hypotensive and vasorelaxant effects of (E) - methyl isoeugenol: a naturally occurring food flavour.

Application of naturally occurring (E) - methyl isoeugenol (MIE) as food flavour has been widely accepted despite the growing concerns over cardiovascular issue. Hence, we sought to investigate hypotensive property of MIE and the involvement of central and/or peripheral mechanism (s). Variation in mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), baroreflex sensitivity of normotensive rats and vascular reactivity were recorded.

Effects of ketamine and N-methyl-D-aspartate on fluoxetine-induced antidepressant-related behavior using the forced swimming test.

This study investigated the effects of ketamine on fluoxetine-induced antidepressant behavior using the forced swimming test (FST) in mice. In order to understand the possible role of N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) neurotransmission in the antidepressant effect of fluoxetine, different groups of mice (n=10) were administered with acute ketamine (3mg/kg, i.p.

Hypnotic, anticonvulsant and anxiolytic effects of 1-nitro-2-phenylethane isolated from the essential oil of Dennettia tripetala in mice.

This study investigated the hypnotic, anti-convulsant and anxiolytic effects of 1-nitro-2-phenylethane (BPNE) obtained from the oil of Dennettia tripetala G. Baker (Annonaceae) and established its mechanism of action. The essential oil (EO) from the leaf, fruit and seed was obtained by hydrodistillation, followed by isolation of BPNE purified to 99.

Neuropharmacological effects of Nigerian honey in mice.

Honey is a natural sweet substance that bees produce by transforming flower nectar or other sweet secretions of plants. It has widespread use in traditional medicine in various parts of the world. It has been reported to assist in building the entire central nervous system.

Analgesic, learning and memory and anxiolytic effects of insulin in mice.

Insulin is a polypeptide hormone that is present in mammals and its main function is the maintenance of adequate blood sugar level. Insulin receptors are widely but unevenly distributed in the brain. Insulin has been reported to be involved in the regulation of neurotransmitters release.

Neuropharmacological effects of oleamide in male and female mice.

Oleamide, a fatty acid amide accumulates selectively in the cerebrospinal fluid of sleep deprived cats and rats. Oleamide has been reported to have effects on a wide range of receptors and neurotransmitter systems especially the centrally acting ones for example, dopamine acetylcholine, serotonin, gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), cannabinoid and vanilloid among others. This suggests a wide range of central nervous system effects of the compound.

Neuropeptide-Y Y2-receptor agonist, PYY3-36 promotes non-rapid eye movement sleep in rat.

PYY3-36 is a major component of the gut-brain axis and peripheral administration has been reported to exert significant effects on feeding, brain function and is more selective for neuropeptide Y2 receptor. Therefore, we investigated the effects of nocturnal intraperitoneal administration of single doses of PYY3-36 (30 and 100 microg/kg i.p.

Sedative, antiepileptic and antipsychotic effects of Spondias mombin L. (Anacardiaceae) in mice and rats.

In this study, we evaluated the effects of air-dried Spondias mombin leaves extracted with aqueous, methanol and ethanol solvents on hexobarbital-induced sleeping time and novelty-induced rearing (NIR) behaviours in mice and rats. We also studied the effect of the extracts on amphetamine- and apomorphine-induced stereotyped and picrotoxin-induced convulsive behaviour in rats. All residues from different extractions were dissolved in normal saline and administered intraperitoneally (i.

Selective stimulation of orexin receptor type 2 promotes wakefulness in freely behaving rats.

Orexins A and B are a pair of neuropeptides implicated in the regulation of feeding and arousal behavior mediated through two orexin receptors type 1 and type 2. We have determined the arousal effects of newly developed selective orexin receptor type 2 agonist, [Ala11]orexin-B, on the sleep-wake cycle in rats. The effects of third ventricle intracerebroventricular (ICV) infusion of the novel orexin receptor type 2 selective agonist, [Ala11]orexin-B, on the sleep-wake cycle were investigated.

A novel melatonin derivative modulates sleep-wake cycle in rats.

The aim of this study was to evaluate, in comparison with melatonin (MLT), the effects of a novel 2-melatonin derivative, having a 2-trifluoromethyl group (MLTD) on the sleep-wake cycle in freely behaving rats. Doses of MLTD (100, 300 and 500 nmol/100 microl saline) or MLT (500 nmol/100 microl saline) replaced the i.c.

Hypnotic effects of total aqueous extracts of Vervain hastata (Verbenaceae) in rats.

The in vivo sedative property of the total aqueous extract of the aerial portion of Vervain hastata (Verbenaceae) (TAEV) was studied in male rats to establish its scientific basis in herbal medicine. The investigation was conducted using electroencephalogram (EEG) analysis, and the barbituric-hypnosis test. The results showed that TAEV potentiated the pentobarbital-induced hypnosis significantly by reducing sleep latency and increased sleeping time in a dose-dependent manner that was reversed by flumazenil.