In vivo and in silico sedative-hypnotic like activity of 7-methyljuglone isolated from Diospyros lotus L.

Diospyros lotus L. possesses different therapeutic activities such as antioxidant, anti-proliferative, anti-microbial and sedative. However, no studies on the sedative-hypnotic activity of 7-methyljuglone are reported. In the present study, we have evaluated in vivo the anxiolytic-hypnotic like effects of 7-methyljuglone in mice with open field and phenobarbitone-induced sleeping time tests. We have also assessed in silico the involvement of GABAA, GABAB and 5HT1 neurotransmission in its mechanism of action. The intraperitoneal administration of 7-methyljuglone (2.5–10 mg/kg) reduce significantly the number of crossed lines in mice open field test and concomitantly it shown a significant activity in term of onset of sleeping time and also in its duration. Moreover, 7-methyljuglone demonstrated in silico an interesting interaction with GABAA but not GABAB and 5HT1binding sites. All of these results, taken together, 7-methyljuglone may be an innovative candidate for designing new pharmaceutical and therapeutic applications.