Oliveira JS, Porto LA, Estevam CS, Siqueira RS, Alves PB, Niculau ES, Blank AF, Almeida RN, Marchioro M, Quintans-Junior LJ
Latin American and Caribbean Bulletin of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, 2009
ABSTRACT:
Ocimum basilicum (Lamiaceae) and other species of the same genus are used as medicines for the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) diseases. In this report, we have investigated the possible CNS depressant and anticonvulsant effects of Ocimum basilicum (access “Maria Bonita”) leaf essential oil (EO) in different experimental models. GC-MS and GC-FID analysis of the essential oil resulted in the identification of 7 compounds constituting 98.8% of the total oil. 1.8-cineole, linalool, and geraniol were the principal components, comprising 92.9% of the oil. EO, at all doses, showed depressant CNS activity as revealed in the general pharmacological screening: decrease of spontaneous activity, ptosis, ataxia, and sedation. Additionally, all doses of EO induced a significant increase of sleeping time (p < 0.05) and decrease in the latency to sleep (p<0.01). EO also increased the latency for development of convulsions in pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) and picrotoxin tests (p < 0.05). For PTZ, the effects of EO were reversed by flumazenil. EO did not interfere with the convulsions induced by strychnine (p>0.05). Our data suggests that EO possesses CNS depressant and anticonvulsant properties which could be mediated by an interaction with central GABAergic receptors.
CITATION:
Oliveira JS, Porto LA, Estevam CS, Et Al. Phytochemical screening and anticonvulsant property of Ocimum basilicum leaf essential oil. Bol Latinoam Caribe. 2009;8(3):195-202.
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