Psychopharmacological effects of Artemisia copa aqueous extract in mice.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the aqueous extract from aerial parts of Artemisia copa Phil. (Asteraceae) administered orallyfor its psychopharmacological activities in several experimental models. METHODS The extract was administered p.o. in Swiss albino mice and tested on pentobarbital-induced hypnosis, locomotor activity, exploration in the hole-board, anxiolytic like profile evaluated in the marble-burying test and anticonvulsant activity on convulsions induced by pentylenetetrazol. RESULTS Artemisia copa at doses up to 1.5 g/kg produced a dose-dependent sleep induction and potentiation of sub-hypnotic and hypnotic doses of pentobarbital. The extract also produced a dose-dependent increase and decrease in the spontaneous motor activity (0.5-1.5 g/kg, respectively), no disruption or a decrease on exploratory (hole-board) behavioral profiles (0.5-1.5 g/kg respectively) and a dose-related anxiolytic-like activity as indicated by increases in the percentage of marbles they left uncovered in the marble-burying test at doses (0.5 g/kg) that do not disrupt the motor activity. In addition, the extract (1.5 g/kg) produced a significant increase in the latency time and a decrease in the duration of seizures and mortality induced by PTZ 75 mg/kg in mice. CONCLUSION These results suggest that the aqueous extract of Artemisia copa may contain sedative principles with potential anxiolytic and anticonvulsant activities.