Studies on the detoxification effects and acute toxicity of a mixture of cis-sec-butyl-1-propoenyl disulphide and trans-sec-butyl-1-propoenyl disulphide isolated from crude essential oil of Ferula sinkiangensis K.M. Shen, a Chinese traditional herbal medicine

Abstract

There have, so far, been no papers about the detoxification effects on morphine-dependent animals of a mixture of cis-sec-butyl-1-propoenyl disulphide and trans-sec-butyl-1-propoenyl disulphide (SBD), which is isolated from crude essential oil of Ferula sinkiangensis K.M. Shen, a Chinese traditional herbal medicine. Naloxone-precipitated abstinent morphine-dependent models and naturally abstinent morphine-dependent models were used to evaluate the detoxification effects of intraperitoneal injection of SBD. In addition, the writhing test for mice was used to assess the anti-nociceptive effects of SBD, and the spontaneous activity test was used to verify the sedative effects of SBD. Acute toxicity tests of the SBD in mice were performed and the LD₅₀ values were calculated. The results indicated that SBD can inhibit the abstinent syndromes, and that SBD had good anti-nociceptive and sedative effects.

Keywords:

• cis-sec-butyl-1-propoenyl disulphide
• trans-sec-butyl-1-propoenyl disulphide
• morphine dependence
• precipitation
• abstinent symptoms

Acknowledgement

This research was financially supported by the research fund of West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University (2008, 2009 and 2010).