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Kyllinga brevifolia Rottb., Cyperaceae, rhizomes have been widely used in the Paraguayan folk medicine as digestive, diuretic, sedative, tonic, antispasmodic and sudorifi c. The purpose of this study is to characterize the putative sedative, anxiolytic effects of the crude hydro-ethanolic extract (CEKb) and fractions of the rhizome of K. brevifolia, in male mice. The behaviour of mice was assessed in the open fi eld, hole board, rota-rod and elevated plus-maze (EPM) test. Oral treatment with single doses of 10, 100 and 1000 mg/kg of CEKb and 10 mg/kg of ethyl acetate fraction (KbF-ethyl-ac) increased the duration of the sleeping time induced by pentobarbital. Oral administration of 1, 10 and 100 mg/kg of CEKb and 0.1, 1 and 10 mg/kg of KbFethyl-ac also signifi cantly increased the time-spent and arm entries into open arms of the elevated plus maze (EPM) versus control group. These fi ndings indicate that K. brevifolia exerts a weak sedative and an interesting anxiolytic-like effect in mice and suggest its potential usefulness for the treatment of anxiety in humans.

Kyllinga brevifolia Rottb, Cyperaceae, rhizomes are used in the Paraguayan folk medicine as sedative and tonic for nervous system. The aim of this study was to determine the anti-aggressive activity of hydro-ethanolic (rhizomes) extract (CEKb), hexane (KbF-hex), chloroform (KbF-chlo), ethyl acetate (KbF-ethyl-ac) and aqueous (KbF-aq) fractions of K. brevifolia on the aggressive behavior assessed in the isolation-induced aggression model in male mice. The effect on aggressive behavior was observed during a ten minute resident-intruder confrontation. Oral doses of CEKb (10 and 100 mg/kg; p< 0.05), KbF-hex (0.1, p<0.01; 1, p<0.001 and 10 mg/kg, p< 0.01)) and KbF-ethyl-ac (0.1, p<0.01; 1, p< 0.05 and 10 mg/kg, p< 0.05) from K. brevifolia reduced fighting time of isolation-induced aggressive behavior, respectively, in male mice. In conclusion, our results make evident that CEKb, Hex Kb and KbF-ethyl-ac obtained from K. brevifolia possesses anti aggressive-like property in mice. These finding give further support to the traditional use of Kyllinga brevifolia as sedative and tonic in Paraguayan folk medicine. Taken together, these findings suggest that Kyllinga brevifolia exhibits a general anti-offensive aggressive activity and may be relevant in the treatment of reactive aggression in humans.