Evaluation of Central Nervous System Effects of Passiflora incarnata in Experimental Animals

Abstract

Passiflora incarnata Linn. has been used for the treatment of insomnia, anxiety and various other disorders of the CNS since antiquity. Despite a very long history of use, the healing potential and the mode of action of this plant was never described clearly, perhaps due to the controversial identity of P. incarnata with Passiflora edulis Sims. In many references, both these plants were reported and considered to be synonyms of each other and were named passion flower, maracuja or maypops. The key differential parameters reported by the authors enable the selection of the authentic plant, i.e., P. incarnata for the purpose of systematic biological studies. In the present investigations, the methanol extract of leaves of P. incarnata was evaluated for various CNS effects in experimental animals. The methanol extract of leaves of P. incarnata exhibited significant sedative, anticonvulsant and CNS-depressant activities at a dose of 200 mg/kg in mice. The extract also exhibited analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities against acetic acid-induced pain and carrageenan-induced edema, respectively, when evaluated in experimental animals.