Erysothrine, an alkaloid extracted from flowers of Erythrina mulungu Mart. ex Benth: evaluating its anticonvulsant and anxiolytic potential

Epilepsy Behav. 2012 Mar;23(3):205-12. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2012.01.003. Epub 2012 Feb 29.

Abstract

In this study, we isolated the alkaloid erysothrine from the hydroalcoholic extract of flowers from E. mulungu and screened for its anticonvulsant and anxiolytic actions based on neuroethological and neurochemical experiments. Our results showed that the administration of erysothrine inhibited seizures evoked by bicuculline, PTZ, NMDA and most remarkably, kainic acid. Also, erysothrine induced an increase in the number of entries but not in the time spent in the open arms of the EPM. However, we did not notice any alterations in the light-dark choice or in the open-field tests. In preliminary neurochemistry tests, we also showed that erysothrine (0.001-10 μg/mL) did not alter the GABA or glutamate synaptossomal uptake and binding. Altogether, our results describe an alkaloid with anticonvulsant activity and mild anxiolytic activity that might be considered well tolerated as it does not alter the general behavior of the animals in the used doses.

MeSH terms

  • Alkaloids / isolation & purification
  • Alkaloids / therapeutic use*
  • Animals
  • Anti-Anxiety Agents / isolation & purification
  • Anti-Anxiety Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Anticonvulsants / isolation & purification
  • Anticonvulsants / therapeutic use*
  • Anxiety / drug therapy*
  • Anxiety / etiology
  • Convulsants / toxicity
  • Diazepam / therapeutic use
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Drug Evaluation, Preclinical
  • Drug Interactions
  • Erythrina / chemistry*
  • Exploratory Behavior / drug effects
  • Flowers / chemistry*
  • Glutamic Acid / metabolism
  • Locomotion / drug effects
  • Male
  • Phytotherapy*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Seizures / chemically induced
  • Seizures / drug therapy*
  • Synaptosomes / drug effects
  • Tritium / metabolism
  • gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / metabolism

Substances

  • Alkaloids
  • Anti-Anxiety Agents
  • Anticonvulsants
  • Convulsants
  • erysothrine
  • Tritium
  • Glutamic Acid
  • gamma-Aminobutyric Acid
  • Diazepam