Effect of Orostachys spinosa dry extract on white rat behavior in tests with positive reinforcement

BACKGROUND: Mining grate prickly (Orostachys spinosa (L.) Sweet) is a perennial herb of the Crassulaceae family that is widely used in folk medicine fresh as a decoction for epilepsy and sedative for nervous disorders.

AIM: To examine the effect of O. spinosa dry extract on the white rat behavior in tests with positive reinforcement.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Experiments were conducted on 82 Wistar rats. The O. spinosa dry extract effects at doses of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg on animal behavior were assessed in the hypophagy and T-maze tests.

RESULTS: Following the introduction of O. spinosa extract at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg, the number of animals fed in the hypophagy test was 1.6 and 1.8 times greater than that in the control, and the feed volume exceeded by 94% and 78%, respectively, the indicator in the control group. On day 4 of training, a conditioned reflex was observed in 100% of the animals treated with 200 mg/kg O. spinosa extract. Following the administration of the O. spinosa extract at a dose of 100 mg/kg and the reference drug, a conditioned reflex was observed in 63% and 71% of the animals, respectively, which was 2.0 times higher than that in the control group.

CONCLUSION: The 100 and 200 mg/kg O. spinosa dry extracts positively affected the removal of the anxiety level, promoted an increase in orienting–exploratory activity, and thereby accelerated the development of a conditioned reflex in white rats.