Neurophysiological studies of Heteropteris glabra Hok. & Arn. (Malpighiaceae) in DBA/2J mice

Fruits of Heteropterys glabra (Malpighiaceae) are used in South-American folk medicine as a sedative and anxiolytic agent. In present research, we studied neurophysiological effects of the plant. Ethanolic extract was assayed in DBA/2J mice in order to evaluate the sleep wakefulness cycle, electroencephalogram (EEG) and visual evoked potentials (VEP). The results of our experiments indicated that the EtOH extract of the plant induced a reduction of motor activity and alterations of EEG and VEP parameters, supporting the possibility that the plant acts as an anxiolytic/sedative agent, thus, confirming its usual assumption and the traditional use.