Sedative and hypnotic effects of the roots of Asparagus africanus (Asparagaceae) decoction on white mice (Mus musculus Swiss)

Tchinmi Elisabeth Tchinmi Elisabeth,Ngah Esther Ngah Esther,Ngo Bum Elisabeth Ngo Bum Elisabeth

doi:10.30574/gscbps.2020.11.3.0189

Tchinmi Elisabeth Tchinmi Elisabeth, Ngah Esther Ngah Esther + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.30574/gscbps.2020.11.3.0189

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Abstract

Asparagus africanus Lam. (Asparagaceae) is a plant widely used in traditional medicine as an anti-inflammatory, for the treatment of nervous disorders and insomnia. The aim of this work was to study the sedative and hypnotic effects of the roots of A. africanus decoction on white mice (Mus musculus Swiss). Sleep potentiation tests induced by diazepam and sodium pentobarbital were used. The sleep latency period onset and the sleep duration were recorded. The concentrations of GABA a[nd GABA-T in the brains of mice were also estimated. A. africanus significantly decreased the sleep latency period onset and increased the sleep duration induced by diazepam and sodium pentobarbital. Bicuculline, a competitive photosensitive antagonist of the GABAA receptor complex, did not prevent this potentiation. The effect of A. africanus on the sleep time was not blocked by flumazenil, a specific antagonist to the benzodiazepine site in the GABAA receptor complex. GABA increased and GABA-T decreased in the animals brain A. africanus treated significantly. Therefore the sedative properties of A. africanus might be possibly mediated by the activation of GABAergic neurotransmission on inhibitory receptors and by the decrease in the recapture of GABA by inhibiting GABA-T. These properties justified its use against insomnia in traditional medicine.

Highlights

Insomnia is a degenerative disease that affects the central nervous system due to high excitement in the brain [1, 2]
Effect of the roots of Asparagus africanus decoction on latency period of onset and sleep time by diazepam Table 1 shows that: A. africanus significantly reduced the latency period of onset [(F (3, 16) = 20.22; P < 0.001); R2 = 79.13%] and increased the sleep time [(F (3, 16) = 2765; P
A. africanus roots decoction decrease in the latency period of onset of sleep and significantly increased the duration of sleep induced by diazepam and sodium pentobarbital, which suggests sedative activity [21]

Summary

Introduction

Insomnia is a degenerative disease that affects the central nervous system due to high excitement in the brain [1, 2]. It is defined as a complaint of sleep failure but difficult to obtain, insufficient or non-recoverable [3]. Insomnia is a very common health problem that lowers the quality of life of the individual and has significant social and economic costs [2]. It has a prevalence of 35% worldwide, of which 9 to 10% are chronic cases and 25% are occasional cases [4]. Patients with epilepsy often report non-restful sleep and daytime sleepiness which affects their life quality and can lead to even more seizures [6]

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