PURPOSE:

A tri-substituted benzoflavone moiety (BZF) recently isolated from the methanol extract of aerial parts of the plant Passiflora incarnata Linneaus had exhibited encouraging results in countering the dependence produced by addiction-prone substances like morphine, nicotine, cannabinoids and ethyl alcohol, during the studies performed by the authors. Since the BZF moiety had exhibited significant anxiolytic properties at 10 mg/kg p.o. dose in mice, therefore, it was desirable to evaluate this potential phyto-moiety (BZF) for its own dependence-liabilities It was also deemed viable to evaluate BZF moiety for its possible usefulness in countering the dependence-liabilities associated with the chronic use of benzodiazepines keeping in light their tremendous clinical use in the management of anxiety and insomnia.

METHODS:

Different groups of mice were administered BZF alone (10, 50 or 100 mg/kg, p.o.), and concomitantly with diazepam (20 mg/kg, p.o.) in a 21-days treatment regimen, followed by no treatments for the next 72-hours. The withdrawal effects in the form of ambulatory behavior of the treated animals were recorded on the 25th day using an Actophotometer.

RESULTS:

The BZF-alone (three doses) treated mice exhibited a normal ambulatory behavior on 25th day. Mice groups receiving co-treatments, i.e., BZF-diazepam concomitantly, also exhibited a normal ambulatory behavior in a dose-dependent manner, i.e., the higher dose of BZF (100 mg/kg) being more effective in countering the withdrawal effects of chronically administered diazepam than the lower doses (10 or 50 mg/kg).

CONCLUSIONS:

The studies revealed that the chronic administration of the BZF moiety (three doses), did not exhibit any dependence-liability of its own, even upon an abrupt cessation. Additionally, the BZF co-treatments with diazepam also prevented the incurrence of diazepam-dependence, which might be because of the aromatase enzyme inhibiting properties associated with the BZF moiety.