Benzodiazepines: Their Use either as Essential Medicines or as Toxics Substances

Sanabria, Edilma; Cuenca, Ronald; Esteso, Miguel A.; Maldonado, Mauricio

doi:10.3390/toxics9020025

Cited by 34 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 88 publications

(107 reference statements)

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“…Anxiety and depression affect about 300 million (4.4 percent) and 264 million (3.6 percent) people of the world’s population, respectively, according to a World Health Organization 2015 report [ 5 ], and they have been two of the most prevalent forms of disease globally for several years [ 20 ]. In accordance with the concern of their rising prevalence, the side effects observed and confirmed for the prolonged use of conventional drugs has been a major dilemma for the authorities that approve such medication with very serious side effects, and also for the patient that has to accept being exposed to those side effects with no other alternative [ 7 ]. All those facts combined have stepped up the hunt for other safe and affordable alternative therapies [ 21 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Depression and anxiety treatments only act in the long term. They are fraught with side effects, such as orthostatic hypotension, tachycardia, digestive disorders, weight gain, sexual disorders, or even visual disorders, and one major problem that comes after more prolonged exposure is memory impairment [ 7 , 8 ]. It has been declared that long-time use of benzodiazepines affects memory [ 9 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Assessment of Antidepressant-like, Anxiolytic Effects and Impact on Memory of Pimpinella anisum L. Total Extract on Swiss Albino Mice

Es-safi

Mechchate

Amaghnouje

et al. 2021

Plants

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Mental disorders are psychological symptoms that impact multiple areas of an individual’s life. Depression and anxiety are chronic illnesses described as the most prevalent stress-related mood disorders that cause injury and early death. In Morocco, Anise “Pimpinella anisum L.” is one of the most traditionally used condiment plants, which has long been used to cure various illnesses and in phytotherapy. The present study was designed to investigate the antidepressant, anxiolytic, and memory impact of the total extract of Pimpinella anisum (PATE) at the doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg, using the Forced Swimming Test (FST), Tail Suspension Test (TST), Open Field Test (OFT), and Light–Dark Box Test (LDBT) as an experimental paradigm of anxiety and depression, and Novel Object Recognition Test (NORT) and the Morris Water Maze Test (MWMT) as memory tests on Swiss albino mice. The tests were carried out on the 1st, 7th, 14th, and the 21st days of the study, and the extract groups were compared with normal controls and positive controls (receiving bromazepam and paroxetine at the doses of 1 mg/kg and 11.5 mg/kg for anxiety and depression, respectively). The daily oral gavage of the mice by the PATE induced a significant anxiolytic and antidepressant-like effect by shortening immobility time and decreasing downtime in the different tests. PATE at both doses was shown to have no impact on memory following the NORT and MWM tests. Different compounds, such as gallic acid, catechin, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, oleuropein, p-coumaric acid, trans-4-hydroxy-3-methoxycinnamic acid, myricetin, and quercetin, were identified during the phytochemical analysis carried out using HPLC analysis. This research supports and promotes the extract’s traditional use, suggesting its use as a phytomedicine against depression and anxiety, and calls for further research to clarify its mode of action.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of Antidepressant-like, Anxiolytic Effects and Impact on Memory of Pimpinella anisum L. Total Extract on Swiss Albino Mice

Es-safi

Mechchate

Amaghnouje

et al. 2021

Plants

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“…The majority of BZD prescriptions (92.6%) are anxiolytics (N05B), whereas only a small percentage of 7.4% are hypnotic or sedative BZD (N05CD), which reveals a prescribing preference for anxiolytic BZD rather than for the sedative or hypnotic ones [ 17 , 32 , 33 , 34 ]. This predisposition may possibly be related to the strong sedative effect caused by N05CD-BZD, which ultimately leads to a prescribing preference towards slightly less soporific BZD, such as anxiolytics, assuring a milder effect in the central nervous system (CNS) [ 35 ]. Furthermore, the predominance of anxiety, depression, stress, loneliness, and mild insomnia—mental health issues commonly and advisedly treated with anxiolytics—in Portuguese older adults, could also contribute to this prescribing tendency [ 4 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trends and Geographic Variabilities in Benzodiazepines Prescription in Primary Care to Older Adults: A 3-Year Population-Based Ecological Study in Portugal

et al. 2022

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(1) Background: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), benzodiazepines (BZD) are considered essential medicines for the treatment of several mental disorders in older adults over 65 years old. However, the long-term use of BZD could present a harmful impact on this population, leading to cognitive deficits, drug dependence, falls, and fractures. This study aims to analyze trends of BZD prescription to Portuguese older adults in the primary care setting, and to analyze the change in the prescription rate of BZD over time, assessing the geographical variability in mainland Portugal. (2) Methods: A nationwide, retrospective ecological study was performed between January 2019 and December 2021 for BZD prescribing data reported in a national public database for all persons aged 65 and older in mainland Portugal (about 2.4 million). Trends of BZD by defined daily doses (DDD) and per 1000 older adults’ inhabitants per day (DID) were analyzed. (3) Results: A total of 19 BZD were included in this study and more than 1 million BZD prescriptions were recorded in each year of this study period. BZD prescriptions were three times higher in females than in males. Alprazolam, lorazepam, diazepam, ethyl loflazepate, and bromazepam were the most prescribed BZD over the years, presenting the higher DDD and DID values. (4) Conclusions: Despite the DID value growth of several BZD, Portugal is now showing stable BZD prescriptions in older adults, between the years 2019 to 2021. More studies are needed to access if these results are a consequence of successful health programs or just a consequence of the pandemic context that we are facing, which limited older adults’ clinical appointments.

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“…130 A certain number of benzodiazepines have been clinically deployed as anxiolytic agents, namely, triflubazam, razobazam, and clobazam (Scheme 13). 131 Because of their significant medicinal applications, Shaabani and coworkers designed and prepared AuCu as well as bimetallic nanoparticles of AgCu anchored on guanidine-attached reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets and investigated their catalytic activity for the preparation of benzodiazepine derivatives through a tandem reductive/MCRs strategy. 132 Au or Ag nanoparticle catalysts were found to be remarkable contenders for the reduction of nitro functionalities due to their proficiency in the catalytic hydrogenation of nitro derivatives into anilines by NaBH 4 .…”

Section: ■ Gold Np-catalyzed Mcrsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gold Nanoparticle-Catalyzed Multicomponent Reactions

Yazdani

Hooshmand

Varma

2021

ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng.

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Nanotechnology and nanoscience hold great promise for many multidisciplinary applications, including catalysis where gold nanoparticles (GNPs) are considered "safer and environmentally benign" on account of the fact that they are relatively nontoxic and efficient for pivotal applications in natural-product synthesis, organic reactions, pharmaceutical industry, and medicinal chemistry. Since the physicochemical characteristics of GNPs pertain to their shape, size, composition, and surface modification, these features contribute to the reactivity and toxicity of nanomaterials in the catalytic systems. Multicomponent reactions (MCRs) lead to expeditious synthesis of biologically active molecules and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) with atom economy and high efficiency, as well as a low E-factor, and they can be performed in one-pot operations deploying three or more reactants. Thus, applications of GNPs as robust catalysts in MCRs comprise an effective synthetic route with an ideal combination for the augmentation of greener and sustainable methods. Accordingly, cutting-edge examples of gold nanoparticle-catalyzed multicomponent reactions leading to a diverse range of valuable organic molecules such as isoxazolines, propargylamines, 3,4dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-ones, pyrans, chromeno[2,3-d]pyrimidins, pyridines, and benzodiazepines are discussed and highlighted.

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Benzodiazepines: Their Use either as Essential Medicines or as Toxics Substances

Cited by 34 publications

References 88 publications

Assessment of Antidepressant-like, Anxiolytic Effects and Impact on Memory of Pimpinella anisum L. Total Extract on Swiss Albino Mice

Assessment of Antidepressant-like, Anxiolytic Effects and Impact on Memory of Pimpinella anisum L. Total Extract on Swiss Albino Mice

Trends and Geographic Variabilities in Benzodiazepines Prescription in Primary Care to Older Adults: A 3-Year Population-Based Ecological Study in Portugal

Gold Nanoparticle-Catalyzed Multicomponent Reactions

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