J Ethnopharmacol. 2002 Jul; 81(2): 239-44.

Suppression of alcohol-cessation-oriented hyper-anxiety by the benzoflavone moiety of Passiflora incarnata Linneaus in mice.

Dhawan K, Kumar S, Sharma A.

Pharmacognosy Division, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India.

A benzoflavone moiety has been reported recently to be responsible for the multifarious CNS effects of Passiflora incarnata Linneaus. In the light of the established usefulness of the benzoflavone moiety in counteracting the withdrawal effects of substances like morphine, cannabinoids and nicotine by the authors, the bioactive benzoflavone moiety (BZF) has been tested in mice treated with an addictive dose (2 g/kg, bid for 6 days) of ethyl alcohol, in order to evaluate its effectiveness in countering alcohol dependence. In a 7-day regimen, different groups of mice were administered vehicle, alcohol and alcohol+three doses (10, 20 and 50 mg/kg of the benzoflavone moiety) of P. incarnata; all treatments (chronic) being administered orally, twice daily for 6 days. Similarly, three other groups of mice were rendered addicts upon alcohol by administration of the addictive dose (2 g/kg, bid for 6 days) of ethyl alcohol, and a single acute administration of 10, 20 and 50 mg/kg dose of benzoflavone moiety was given on the 7th day. In both, chronic and acute administrations, the benzoflavone moiety prevented significantly the expression of withdrawal effects of alcohol as there was a significant decrease in anxiety oriented behavior in mice that received benzoflavone moiety of P. incarnata. The chronic administration of P. incarnata with alcohol had better preventive effects than the single acute treatment with P. incarnata in alcohol-dependent mice.