Bioactive Extracts from the Fruit Rind of Limonia acidissima L. Exhibit Neuro-Modulatory Properties in a Thiopental-Sodium Sleep Model in Swiss Albino Mice: Implications for Neuro-Pharmacological Interventions

Abstract

Background: Anxiety, stress, depression, and psychosis are conditions related to mental illnesses which interfere with the quality of life. Conventional interest in the preventive and therapeutic potential of natural products or nutraceuticals in disease management has escalated in recent years due to their relatively high safety index and affordability. Natural products with anxiolytic properties are essential central nervous system (CNS) modulators, which can reduce symptoms of anxiety and other associated psychological factors. This study investigated the neurotherapeutic effects of bioactive components of extracted in the methanol and acetone fractions of Limonia acidissima L. fruit rind in Swiss albino mice. Methods: The bioactive properties reflecting neurotherapeutic activity were examined with standard protocols that included open field, hole board, hole cross, and sleeping time tests induced by thiopental sodium. The experimental design included 140 Swiss albino mice, randomly subdivided into twenty-eight groups (n = 5) and distributed into blocks for different in vivo protocols. Results: Results of the thiopental sodium-mediated sleeping time test demonstrated that both extracts showed substantial (p < 0.001) reductions in sleep onset time while concomitantly increasing sleep duration time. The hole cross (p < 0.001) and open-field (p < 0.05, p < 0.01, p < 0.001) studies showed noteworthy reductions in spontaneous locomotor and experimental behaviours. The administration of the extracts significantly reduced the frequency of head dips during the hole-board testing (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Our findings show that the methanol and acetone fruit rind extracts from Limonia acidissima (L. acidissima) are potentially active in vivo. The study indicates that the fruits rind exhibits potent CNS functions regarding its hypnotic and anti-depressant effects.