https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8232-4476
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Abstract
The present study was carried out to assess the neurobehavioral properties of hydroalcoholic extract of Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn. on validated mice models. A standardized hydroalcoholic (70 % ethanol) extract of the fruit pulp of Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn. (HABH) was administered daily through oral route for seven days at three dose levels of 30, 100 and 300 mg/kg body weight/day respectively in mice. One hour after the treatment, experiment(s) were performed in validated neurobehavioral models viz. spontaneous locomotor activity on actophotometer, pentobarbital-induced sleeping time, levodopa (L-dopa)-induced aggression, 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP)-induced head twitches, and reserpine-induced hypothermia in mice. HABH treated mice were found insignificant (p<0.05) in spontaneous locomotor activity on actophotometer. The lower dose (30 mg/kg/day) of HABH treated animals were also insignificant (p<0.05) in pentobarbital-induced sleep and L-dopa-induced hyperactivity tests. HABH (100 and 300 mg/kg/day) treatment significantly (p<0.05) decreased the onset of sleep and prolonged the sleep in pentobarbital-induced sleep, comparable to diazepam treated mice, and attenuate L-dopa-induced hyperactivity/aggression in mice. Interestingly, animals treated with different doses of HABH showed significant (p<0.05) increase in the number of head twitches and decreased hypothermia same as imipramine treated group, respectively in 5-HTP-induced head twitching and reserpine-induced hypothermia in mice. The outcome reveals the neurobehavioral properties of HABH, by modulating the trafficking of neurotransmitters viz. γ-aminobutyric acid, dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine/ epinephrine, possibly via multi-facet pharmacology of the available phytoconstituents(s).