10.30699/jambs.30.143.561 Background & Objective: Datura stramonium L. is a medicinal herb from the family of Solanaceae. It has been used in herbal remedies for promoting health and treating several diseases. The current study was set up to compare the effects of Datura stramonium L. extract on the naloxone-precipitated opiate-withdrawal in mice. Materials & Methods: Male BALB/c mice (30-35 g, n = 40) were arbitrarily separated into 4 groups. The control group received morphine and normal saline and other groups received three doses of D. stramonium extract (10, 20, or 30 mg/kg, intraperitoneally, i.p.). Physically dependent was made by the administration of morphine in increasing doses (50-75 mg/kg, i.p.). The withdrawal signs were elicited by intraperitoneal injections of naloxone (5 mg/kg) 2 h after the last injection of morphine. Results: Administration of D. stramonium extract in doses of 20 and 30 mg/kg markedly diminished the jumping numbers compared to the control group (P<0.05). All three doses of D. stramonium extract could significantly suppress the increase in climbing (P<0.05, P<0.001, and P<0.001, respectively) and diarrhea (P<0.001). D. stramonium in higher doses (20 or 30 mg/kg) significantly decreased rearing and itching (P<0.001). Conclusion:The study findings suggest that D. stramonium extract is effective in alleviating the signs of morphine withdrawal. Additional research is needed to determine the exact mechanisms underlying D. stramonium for inhibiting morphine withdrawal syndrome.

Background: Sleep is a vital biological feature, and insomnia causes maladaptive physical and psychological functions. The main flaws of current insomnia medications are significant side effects. A suitable substitute can be herbal products. We aimed to evaluate the anti-anxiety, sleep-inducing, and -prolonging effects of Lawsonia inermis extract and fractions in mice. Methods: Male albino mice were pretreated intraperitoneally (i.p.) with either three doses (40, 80, and 160 mg/kg) of L. inermis extract or n-butanol fraction (NBF), ethyl acetate fraction (EAF), and water fraction (WF), 30 minutes before i.p. injection of 30 mg/kg pentobarbital. Sleep latency and duration of sleep were recorded. For anxiolytic activity, elevated plus-maze (EPM) tests were used. Moreover, the toxicity of the extract was determined in both in vivo and in vitro experiments. Results: L. inermis extract (160 mg/kg) significantly reduced sleep latency and increased sleep duration. EAF at 160 mg/kg decreased sleep latency and increased sleep duration. Flumazenil reversed the hypnotic effect of L. inermis extract (160 mg/kg). L. inermis extract (80, 160 mg/kg) increased the time spent and the number of entries in the open arms of EPM. The tested extracts and fractions administration found no adverse effects on PC12 cell viability. The LD50 was 2.4 g/kg. Conclusion: L. inermis extracts exhibit anxiolytic and hypnotic effects, probably modulating the GABAergic system.

Hypothyroidism has been associated with cognitive decline. Considering the role that has been suggested for folic acid (FA) in cognitive performance, the present study was designed to investigate the effects of FA against hypothyroidism-induced cognitive impairment, oxidative damage and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity alterations in propylthiouracil (PTU)-induced hypothyroid rats. In this study, PTU (0.05% in drinking water) and FA (5, 10, and 15 mg/kg, oral gavage) were administered to the rats for a period of 7 weeks. Then, behavioral performance was tested using Morris water maze (MWM) and passive avoidance (PA) tasks. Finally, oxidative stress indicators and AChE activity were assayed in the brain tissues. The impairing effect of hypothyroidism on cognitive performance was markedly alleviated by FA especially at the higher doses. In the MWM test, FA reduced escape latency and travelled distance, compared to the non-treated hypothyroid group. In the PA test, the latency to enter the dark chamber was significantly enhanced by FA as compared to the non-treated hypothyroid group (p < 0.05-p < 0.001). Besides, FA attenuated AChE activity and malondialdehyde level but increased superoxidase dismutase enzyme activity and total thiol content (p < 0.05-p < 0.001). In conclusion, FA could improve learning and memory ability in hypothyroid rats. The observed protective effects may be mediated through regulation of oxidative stress and AChE activity.