OBJECTIVE: Chronic ethanol consumption is a major public health problem throughout the world. We investigated the anxiolytic-like effects and the possible ever injury induced by the chronic consumption of ethanol or sugarcane spirit in mice. METHOD: Adult mice were exposed to a two-bottle free-choice paradigm for 6 weeks. The mice in Group A (n = 16) had access to sugarcane spirit + distilled water, the mice in Group B (n = 15) had access to ethanol + distilled water, and the mice in Group C (control, n = 14) had access to distilled water + distilled water. The ethanol content in the beverages offered to Groups A and B was 2% for the first week, 5% for the second week and 10% for the remaining four weeks. At the end of the experimental period, the mice were evaluated using the elevated-plus maze and the hole-board test to assess their anxiety-related behaviors. We also determined the serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels. RESULTS: In the elevated-plus maze, the time spent in the open arms was increased in the mice exposed to chronic ethanol (32 + 8 vs. 7 + 2 s, n = 9) or sugarcane spirit (36 + 9 vs. 7 + 2 s, n = 9) compared to the controls. In the hole-board test, the mice exposed to ethanol or sugarcane spirit displayed increases in their head-dipping frequency (16 + 1 for the control group, 27 + 2 for the ethanol group, and 31 + 3 for the sugarcane-spirit group; n = 9 for each group). In addition, the mice exposed to sugarcane spirit displayed an increase in the aspartate aminotransferase / alanine aminotransferase ratio compared to the ethanol group (1.29 + 0.17 for the control group and 2.67 + 0.17 for the sugarcane spirit group; n = 8 for each group). CONCLUSION: The chronic consumption of sugarcane-spirit produces liver injury and anxiolytic-like effects and the possible liver injury in mice.

O presente estudo buscou avaliar os efeitos do extrato etanólico das raízes de Rauvolfia ligustrina Willd. ex Roem. & Schult., Apocynaceae, (EER) e sua possível atividade anticonvulsivante em roedores. No teste das convulsões induzidas pelo pentilenotetrazol (PTZ) os animais tratados com EER, 250 mg/kg (i.p.), apresentaram aumento significativo (p<0,05) da latência para o aparecimento das convulsões (328,9±47,5) quando comparado aos do grupo controle (103,5±21,8) e reduziu o número de óbitos. Esse efeito foi bloqueado pela administração do flumazenil. O EER produziu aumento significativo (p<0,05) na latência nos testes da picrotoxina (PIC) e da estricnina (EST), nas maiores doses. No modelo do eletrochoque auricular o EER não produziu alterações significativas em nenhum dos parâmetros avaliados. Entretanto, no modelo do abrasamento induzido pelo PTZ, a administração com o EER produziu um efeito protetor, atenuando de forma significativa (p<0,05) o desenvolvimento e a severidade das crises convulsivas. Os resultados, sugerem que o EER induziu efeito anticonvulsivante em roedores e que o sistema GABAérgico pode estar envolvido nessa resposta.

The Aim of this study was to evaluated the effects of the ethanol extract of Rauvolfia ligustrina Willd. ex Roem. & Schult., Apocynaceae, roots (EER) in animal models of epilepsy. The EER increased the latency for convulsions significantly different from control (p<0,05) and in the PTZ induced convulsions test on 62,5 mg/kg (i.p.) decreased mortality. This effect was blocked by flumazenil administration, suggesting an involvement of GABAergic system in the anticonvulsant activity of EER. The EER had a moderate effect only against PIC- or STR-induced convulsions at doses 125 and 250 mg/kg. But in the MES test it did not demonstrate effect on this animal model. Therefore, the EER reduced the development of PTZ-induced kindling in both experimental groups. It also significantly (p<0.05) decreased the latency for convulsions and reduced its percentage. Our results suggest that EER owns anticonvulsant property.

Neste estudo, foram realizados ensaios clínicos toxicológicos, fase I, do produto fitoterápico composto pelas plantas medicinais Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi, Plectranthus amboinicus Lour e Eucalyptus globulus Labill. O estudo foi realizado no Hospital Universitário Lauro Wanderley/UFPB/PB e, para isto, foram selecionados 28 voluntários sadios, sendo 14 homens e 14 mulheres que ingeriram por via oral, ininterruptamente durante 8 semanas, 15 mL do produto, três vezes ao dia; e no 3º e 7º dia, 3ª e 6ª semanas e 24 h após a 8ª semana, foram feitas avaliações clínicas e laboratoriais para análise da toxicidade aguda e crônica. Os resultados obtidos demonstraram que os pacientes não apresentaram alterações clínicas, laboratoriais e reações adversas significantes, apenas pequenas alterações foram detectadas no sangue através da aspartato transaminase (AST) e fosfatase alcalina no grupo feminino para um p < 0,05; no entanto, estes valores determinados permaneceram dentro dos valores de normalidade para indivíduos adultos. Conclui-se que estes dados, em complementação àqueles obtidos com os estudos pré-clínicos, confirmam a baixa toxicidade do produto fitoterápico.

In this study, phase I clinical toxicological assays of the herbal medicine composed of the medicinal plants Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi, Plectranthus amboinicus Lour and Eucaliptus globulus Labill were performed. The study was carried out at Hospital Universitário Lauro Wanderley/UFPB/PB/Brazil and for this purpose, 28 healthy volunteers were chosen, 14 men and 14 women who ingested 15 mL of the medicine per oral, with no interruption, three times a day; and on the 3rd and 7th days, on the 3rd and 6th weeks and 24h after the 8th week, clinical and laboratory evaluations were performed to analyze the acute and chronic toxicity. As results, the patients did not show significant clinical and laboratory alterations and adverse reactions, only little alterations were detected in blood through aspartate transaminase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase in the female group to a p < 0.05; however, these values are according to the normality standard for adult individuals. It can be concluded that these data, complementary to those obtained with the preclinical studies, confirm the low toxicity of the herbal medicine.