Abstract
Two previous investigations were performed to assess the activity of Gelsemium sempervirens (Gelsemium s.) in mice, using emotional response models. These two series are pooled and analysed here. Gelsemium s. in various homeopathic centesimal dilutions/dynamizations (4C, 5C, 7C, 9C, and 30C), a placebo (solvent vehicle), and the reference drugs diazepam (1 mg/kg body weight) or buspirone (5 mg/kg body weight) were delivered intraperitoneally to groups of albino CD1 mice, and their effects on animal behaviour were assessed by the light-dark (LD) choice test and the open-field (OF) exploration test. Up to 14 separate replications were carried out in fully blind and randomised conditions. Pooled analysis demonstrated highly significant effects of Gelsemium s. 5C, 7C, and 30C on the OF parameter “time spent in central area” and of Gelsemium s. 5C, 9C, and 30C on the LD parameters “time spent in lit area” and “number of light-dark transitions,” without any sedative action or adverse effects on locomotion. This pooled data analysis confirms and reinforces the evidence that Gelsemium s. regulates emotional responses and behaviour of laboratory mice in a nonlinear fashion with dilution/dynamization.
Highlights
Gelsemium sempervirens (Loganiaceae) is a twining vine containing the toxic strychnine-related alkaloids gelsemine, gelsemine, and sempervirine [1]
In homeopathic Materia Medica, Gelsemium s. is described as a remedy for a variety of anxiety-like neurological and behavioural symptoms [6,7,8], and there is a preliminary report [9] that homeopathic dilutions/dynamizations of Gelsemium s. in mice counter the effects of the anxiogenic compound RO 15-3505 in the labyrinth test
There is scope for further studies exploring the effects of Gelsemium s. in mouse models of emotional response, using rigorous methods
Summary
Gelsemium sempervirens (Loganiaceae) is a twining vine containing the toxic strychnine-related alkaloids gelsemine, gelsemine, and sempervirine [1]. Is described as a remedy for a variety of anxiety-like neurological and behavioural symptoms [6,7,8], and there is a preliminary report [9] that homeopathic dilutions/dynamizations of Gelsemium s. At the 5th, 9th, and 15th centesimal homeopathic dilutions/dynamizations (C) reduces stress-induced behavioural alterations of mice in the staircase test and light-dark test [10]. Bousta et al have reported that, in some but not all experimental conditions, Gelsemium s. All these results represent reversals of the effects of severe stress (conditioned paradigm), and the findings vary widely depending on the dose administered and the test performed. There is scope for further studies exploring the effects of Gelsemium s. in mouse models of emotional response, using rigorous methods
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