Sedative and hypnotic effects of supercritical carbon dioxide fluid extraction from Schisandra chinensis in mice

摘要

Abstract Schisandra chinensis is a traditional Chinese medicine that has been used for treating insomnia and neurasthenia for centuries. Lignans, which are considered to be the bioactive components, are apt to be extracted by supercritical carbon dioxide. This study was conducted to investigate the sedative and hypnotic activities of the supercritical carbon dioxide fluid extraction of S. chinensis (SFES) in mice and the possible mechanisms. {SFES} exhibited an obvious sedative effect on shortening the locomotor activity in mice in a dose-dependent (10–200?mg/kg) manner. {SFES} (50?mg/kg, 100?mg/kg, and 200?mg/kg, intragstrically) showed a strong hypnotic effect in synergy with pentobarbital in mouse sleep, and reversal of insomnia induced by caffeine, p-chlorophenylalanine and flumazenil by decreasing sleep latency, sleep recovery, and increasing sleeping time. In addition, it produced a synergistic effect with 5-hydroxytryptophan (2.5?mg/kg, intraperitoneally). The behavioral pharmacological results suggest that {SFES} has significant sedative and hypnotic activities, and the mechanisms might be relevant to the serotonergic and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic system.