Potential of the Blue Calm® food supplement in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal-induced anxiety in adult zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is characterized by a set of behavioral, cognitive, nutritional, and physiological phenomena derived from the uncontrolled use of alcoholic beverages. There are cases in which AUD is associated with anxiety disorder, and when untreated, it requires careful pharmacotherapy. Blue Calm® (BC) is a food supplement indicated to aid restorative sleep, which has traces of medicinal plant extracts, as well as myo-inositol, magnesium bisglycinate, taurine, and L-tryptophan as its main chemical constituents. In this context, this study aimed to evaluate the potential of the BC in the treatment alcohol withdrawal-induced anxiety in adult zebrafish (aZF). Initially, BC was submitted to antioxidant activity against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical. Subsequently, the aZF (n = 6/group) were treated with BC (0.1 or 1 or 10 mg/mL; 20 μL; p.o.), and the sedative effect and acute toxicity (96 h) were evaluated. Then, the anxiolytic-like effect and the possible GABAergic mechanism were analyzed through the Light & Dark Test. Finally, BC action was evaluated for treating alcohol withdrawal-induced anxiety in aZF. Molecular docking was performed to evaluate the interaction of the major chemical constituents of BC with the GABAA receptor. BC showed antioxidant potential, a sedative effect, was not toxic, and all doses of BC had an anxiolytic-like effect and showed potential for the treatment of alcohol withdrawal-induced anxiety in aZF. In addition to the anxiolytic action, the main chemical constituents of BC were confirmed in the molecular docking, thus suggesting that BC is an anxiolytic that modulates the GABAergic system and has pharmacological potential for the treatment of alcohol withdrawal-induced anxiety.

Molecular mechanism underlying orofacial antinociceptive activity of Vanillosmopsis arborea Baker (Asteraceae) essential oil complexed with β-cyclodextrin

BACKGROUND

Vanillosmopsis arborea Baker has recognized economic value owing to the high content of (-)-α-bisabolol (BISA) in the essential oil of its stem (EOVA). The antinociceptive effect of EVOA has already been demonstrated, and β-cyclodextrin (βCD) is known to improve the analgesic effect of various substances.

PURPOSE

Thus, we aimed to evaluate the orofacial antinociceptive effect of a complex containing EOVA-βCD in rodents.

METHODS

EOVA was obtained by simple hydrodistillation, and the essential oil was complexed with βCD. The animals (n = 6/group) were treated orally with EOVA-βCD (10 or 50 mg/kg), or vehicle (control), and subjected to cutaneous orofacial nociception (formalin, capsaicin, acidic saline or glutamate), corneal (hypertonic saline) or temporomandibular (formalin) tests. The expression of FOS protein was analyzed in the spinal cord. Molecular docking was performed using the 5-HT₃ and M₂ receptors and BISA.

RESULTS

The oral administration of EOVA-βCD reduced nociceptive behaviour. Moreover, EOVA-βCD decreased FOS expression. The molecular docking study indicates that BISA interacts with 5-HT3 and M2 receptors, indicating the potential mechanism of action of the tested compound.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that EOVA-βCD possesses orofacial antinociceptive effect, indicating that this complex can be used in analgesic drug development.