Study of Sedation, Pre-Anesthetic and Anti-Anxiety Effects of Hop (Humulus lupulus L.) Extract Compared with Diazepam in Rats

Abstract

Humulus lupulus (hops) is a climbing perennial vine that vigorously grows 20-35 feet each year. Humulus lupulus is a member of the hemp family which has grown wild since ancient times in Europe, Asia and North America. The female flowers mature in late Summer and are used to add bitterness, flavor and aroma to beer. In ancient times the young shoots were eaten as a vegetable and the dried flowers were used for their slight narcotic effect and sedative action in the treatment of mania, toothache, earache and neuralgia. One modern herbal medicine practitioners continue to use hops as a sedative and mild hypnotic as well as for its endocrine, free radical scavenging and antitumor properties. The aim of this study was to investigation of the sedation, pre-anesthetic and anti-anxiety effects of hop (Humulus lupulus L.) extract compared with diazepam in rats. In the present study 30 wistar male rats weighting 300±10 g and about 3 months old were used for laboratory experiments. In order to evaluate the sedation and pre-anesthetic effects of hop extract compared with diazepam, 50 mg kg-1 of extract in 1st group, 100 mg kg-1 in 2nd group, 1.2 mg kg-1 in 3rd group, 2 mg kg-1 in Group 4th, 2 mg kg-1 amount of dimethyl sulfoxide was injected intra peritoneal in 5th group and 6th group did not receive any drug. Data showed that hop extract has better sedation, pre-anesthetic and anti-anxiety effects than diazepam. Researchers suggest that still need more studies on this plant component in order to understand the more sedative and anxiolytic effects of this plant.