Estudo dos efeitos do óleo essencial obtido das folhas de Schinus molle L. no sistema nervoso central de camundongos

Abstract

In the folk medicine, several plants have been used to treat human diseases. In this sense, the studies to obtain new compounds with therapeutic properties from medicinal plants have been great progress over time. Schinus molle L., a plant that belongs to the Anacardiaceae family, is popularly known as aroeira salsa. It has been used for different purposes in the folk medicine and in mice its ethanolic and hexanic extracts showed antidepressant-like effects. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of the essential oil obtained from Schinus molle L. leaves in the mice’s central nervous system. In the open field test (OFT), the OEFS (100 mg/kg) significantly reduced in 74% the number of crossed quadrants (OEFS100 = 19,1 ± 6,2 vs. CT = 73,2 ± 3,1) as well as decreased the rearing in 95% (OES100 = 1,1 ± 0,6 vs. CT = 22,3 ± 3,6) when compared to control group. An increase in 2071% of the inactivity time (OEFS100 = 165,0 ± 21,8 vs. CT = 7,6 ± 2,6) was also observed. The same dose of OEFS potentiated the sleep time induced by ethomidate in 95,5% when compared to control group (OEFS100 = 168,4 ± 15,0 vs. CT = 86,1 ± 9,0 s). On the other side, the rota rod test parameters were not affected significantly in the doses tested. To evaluate the possible anxiolytic effect of the OEFS, mice were treated with 25 or 50 mg / kg of OEFS and tested in the elevated plus maze (EPM) and in the marble burying test (MBT). These treatments did not affect significantly the parameters evaluated in both tests. The antidepressant-like effect of OEFS (25 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg) was evaluated in the forced swimming test (FST). In the doses tested, OEFS did not altered significantly the immobility time in the FST. To Pretreatment with flumazenil was not able to reverse the reduction of locomotor and exploratory activity of mice in the OFT caused by OEFS100, showing that the sedative effect is not mediated by the benzodiazepine site of the GABAA receptor. Further studies must be conducted to investigate the mechanisms that underlie its sedative effect, as well as better exploration of the pharmacological profile of this plant.