Natural small-molecule phenols (NSMPs) share some bioactivities. The anxiolytic activity of NSMPs is attracting attention in the scientific community. This paper provides data supporting the hypothesis that NSMPs are generally anxiolytic. The anxiolytic activities of seven simple phenols, including phloroglucinol, eugenol, protocatechuic aldehyde, vanillin, thymol, ferulic acid, and caffeic aci...

Progesterone is an anxiolytic steroid that could play a role in the regulation of anxiety in women. However, the mechanism by which progesterone decreases anxiety is incompletely understood. Progesterone affects the function of the brain by two distinct mechanisms. Progesterone regulates reproductive behavior by activating intracellular progesterone receptors (PRs). In addition, progesterone is...

Orphanin FQ/nociceptin (OFQ/N) is the endogenously occurring peptide ligand for the nociceptin opioid receptor (NOP) that produces anxiolytic-like effects in mice and rats. The present study assessed the anxiolytic-like activity of 8-[bis(2-methylphenyl)-methyl]-3-phenyl-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octan-3-ol (SCH 221510), a novel potent piperidine NOP agonist (EC(50) = 12 nM) that binds with high affin...

Behavioral studies have suggested an involvement of the glutamate pathway in the mechanism of action of anxiolytic drugs, including the NMDA receptor complex. It was shown that magnesium, an NMDA receptor inhibitor, exhibited anxiolytic-like activity in the elevated plus-maze test in mice. The purpose of the present study was to examine interaction between magnesium and benzodiazepine/GABA(A) r...

The clinical efficacy of standardized essential oils (such as Lavender officinalis), in treating anxiety disorders strongly suggests that these natural products are an important candidate source for new anxiolytic drugs. A systematic review of essential oils, their bioactive constituents, and anxiolytic-like activity is conducted. The essential oil with the best profile is Lavendula angustifoli...

The current study investigated the anxiolytic properties of the deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (DTMS) in unipolar major depression using a systematic literature review and meta-analysis. Compared to baseline, large anxiolytic and antidepressant outcomes were obtained after 20 daily sessions of high-frequency DTMS according to data from six open-label studies with 95 patients. Unlike the...

The effect of naloxone, a non-selective opioid antagonist on some anxiolytic and analgesic drugs is reported. Noscapine is an opioid alkaloid with antitussive effect that cannot be antagonized by naloxone. The anxiolytic-like effect of noscapine has been shown in light-dark model and elevated plus maze. In this study the effect of naloxone on anxiolytic effect of noscapine in light-dark model w...

Several studies have shown that glycine transporter 1 (GlyT1) inhibitors have anxiolytic actions. There are two types of glycine receptor: the strychnine-sensitive glycine receptor (GlyA) and the strychnine-insensitive glycine receptor (GlyB); however, which receptor is the main contributor to the anxiolytic actions of GlyT1 inhibitors is yet to be determined. Here, we clarified which glycine r...