Pharmacological Evaluation of Gelsemium sempervirens roots for CNS Depressant Activity

The aim of the present study was to investigate CNS depressant activity of methanolic extract of Gelsemium sempervirens roots. G. sempervirens Ait (Loganiaceae) is used traditionally in the treatment of migraine, neuralgia, rheumatism, restlessness, mental irritability, insomnia and ovarian and uterine pain. The plant was found to contain alkaloids gelsemine, gelseminine, gelsemoidine and gelsevirine. Since roots of Gelsemium sempervirens are used as folk medicine in treatment of insomnia, we made an attempt to study its CNS depressant effect. The different activities studied were potentiation of pentobarbiton-induced sleep, test for locomotor activity, effect on muscle coordination, and antianxiety activities. The results of the study reflected that methanolic extract of the roots (100 mg/kg p.o) decreased locomotor activity, produced muscle relaxation and showed antianxiety activity. This substantiates the traditional use of roots of Gelsemium sempervirens for CNS depressant activity.