Central Nervous System Depressant Activity of Ethanol Extract of Aerial Parts of Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. (Durva) in Mice

Cynodon dactylon L. (Durva) a shrub from Poaceae family is popularly used in folk medicine for treating a wide variety of disorders in South and western India, China and central Asia. Aim of the study: To investigate the CNS depressant properties on experimental animals.

Materials and methods: ethanol extract of aerial parts of Cynodon dactylon (EECD) was studied to investigate its CNS depressant pharmacological properties in the classical behavioral models (openfield, elevated plus maze-EPM, Rota-rod, and Barbiturate-induced sleeping time) using mice. We decided to use i.p. administration of drugs because this pathway allows faster viability of the ethanol extract of aerial parts of Cynodon dactylon than oral pathway using 50% propylene glycol as a solvent in mice at single doses of 50, 75 and 100mg/kg.

Results: No significant effect was evident on motor coordination of the animals in the rotarod test. On EPM, all the doses of EECD presented a significant reduction on the time of permanence in the open arms, indicating an absence of anxiolytic-like effect. In addition, the EECD increased the immobility time in the forced swimming test and potentiated pentobarbital-induced sleeping time in mice, confirmed a probable sedative and central depressant effect in the animals.

Conclusion: Our results suggest that the ethanol extract of c. dactylon at 75mg/kg and 100mg/kg dose biologically active substance(s) that might be acting in the CNS and have significant depressant and anticonvulsant potentials, supporting folk medicine use of this plant.