Pharmacological Studies on Cistanchis Herba. I. Effects of the Constituents of Cistanchis Herba on Sex and Learning Behavior in Chronic Stressed Mice (1)

Abstract

The effects of the constituents of Cistanchis Herba [Cistanche salsa (C. A. MEY.) G. BECK, Orobanchaceae] on sex (licking, mounting and intromission) and learning behaviors in IV-CS strain adult male mice were studied according to the chronic hanging stress method modified by Saito et al. The following results were obtained. The phenylpropanoid glycosides fraction (20 mg/kg, p.o.) prepared from cistanchis Herba showed a marked protective effect against decreases of both sex and learning behaviors in the hanging stress loaded mice. The constituents, acteoside (10 mg/kg, p.o.), cistanoside A (10 mg/kg, p.o.) and cistanoside C (10 mg/kg, p.o.) also showed almost the same effects. Echinacoside (10 mg/kg, p.o.) showed a protective effect against decreases of sex behavior, but had little effect on learning behavior.