Psychopharmacological effects of Artemisia copa aqueous extract in mice

Objective: To evaluate the aqueous extract from aerial parts of Artemisia copa Phil. (Asteraceae) administered orallyfor its psychopharmacological activities in several experimental modelsMethods: The extract was administered p.o. in Swiss albino mice and tested on pentobarbital-induced hypnosis, locomotor activity, exploration in the hole-board, anxiolytic like profile evaluated in the marble-burying test and anticonvulsant activity on convulsions induced by pentylenetetrazol.Results: Artemisia copa at doses up to 1.5 g/kg produced a dose-dependent sleep induction and potentiation of sub-hypnotic and hypnotic doses of pentobarbital. The extract also produced a dose-dependent increase and decrease in the spontaneous motor activity (0.5–1.5 g/kg, respectively), no disruption or a decrease on exploratory (hole-board) behavioral profiles (0.5–1.5 g/kg respectively) and a dose-related anxiolytic-like activity as indicated by increases in the percentage of marbles they left uncovered in the marble-burying test...