Summary
Silexan is an essential oil produced from Lavandula angustifolia flowers with proven clinical efficacy for the treatment of anxiety disorders. The present study was conducted to assess its anxiolytic activity and to screen for neuropharmacological properties in rats and mice of either sex. Silexan (3, 10, and 30 mg/kg, intraperitoneally), lorazepam (5®mg/kg, p.o.), or diazepam (3®mg/kg, p.o.) were administered once daily for 7 consecutive days. Experiments were conducted 1 h after the last drug or vehicle administration. All the three doses of Silexan showed significant and dose-dependent anxiolytic activity in the used pharmacological models (open-field test, elevated plus-maze test, elevated zero-maze test, social interaction test, and novelty-induced suppressed feeding latency test), which was comparable to that of the standard anxiolytic agent lorazepam. In addition, Silexan amplified pentobarbital-induced sleeping time, but in contrast to diazepam was found to be devoid of any significant effect on locomotor activity and muscle-grip performance.
Zusammenfassung
Silexan ist ein ätherisches Öl aus Blüten von Lavandula angustifolia mit bewährter klinischer Wirksamkeit bei der Behandlung von Angststörungen. Ziel der vorliegenden Studie war es, die anxiolytische Aktivität und die neuropharmakologischen Eigenschaften von Silexan an Ratten und Mäusen beiderlei Geschlechts näher zu charakterisieren. Silexan (3, 10 und 30 mg/kg i.p.), Lorazepam (5 mg/kg p.o.) oder Diazepam (3 mg/kg p.o.) wurden einmal täglich für 7 aufeinanderfolgende Tage verabreicht. Die Experimente wurden 1 h nach der letzten Verabreichung der Medikamente bzw. des Vehikels durchgeführt. Alle drei Dosen von Silexan bewirkten eine signifikante und dosisabhängige anxiolytische Aktivität in den verwendeten pharmakologischen Modellen (Open-Field-Test, Elevated-Plus-Maze-Test, Elevated-Zero-Maze-Test, sozialer Interaktionstest, Neuheit-induzierte Hypophagie), die vergleichbar war mit der des Standardanxiolytikums Lorazepam. Silexan verstärkte außerdem die Pentobarbital-induzierte Schlafzeit, hatte im Gegensatz zu Diazepam aber keinen signifikanten Effekt auf die Bewegungsaktivität und die muskuläre Koordination.
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Notes
Silexanâ is the active pharmaceutical ingredient of Laseaâ (W. Spitzner Arzneimittelfabrik GmbH, Ettlingen, Germany).
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Conflict of interest
The investigations were financially supported by Dr. Willmar Schwabe GmbH & Co. KG, Karlsruhe (Germany).
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Kumar, V. Characterization of anxiolytic and neuropharmacological activities of Silexan. Wien Med Wochenschr 163, 89–94 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10354-012-0164-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10354-012-0164-2