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New Botanical Anxiolytics for Use in Companion Animals and Humans

  • Review Article
  • Theme: Phytopharmaceuticals for Global Health: From Discovery to Approval
  • Published:
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Abstract

As part of our ongoing research into botanical therapies for anxiety disorders, the neotropical vine Souroubea sympetala was chosen for study as a phytochemical discovery strategy focusing on rare Central American plant families. When orally administered to male Sprague-Dawley rats, the crude plant extract, its ethyl acetate fraction, supercritical carbon dioxide fraction, or its isolated triterpenes reduced anxiety and/or fear-related behavior in standardized behavioral models. Pharmacological studies showed that the extracts acted at the benzodiazepine GABAA receptor and reduced corticosterone levels. A preparation containing Souroubea fortified with a second triterpene containing plant, Platanus occidentalis, was shown to be safe in a 28-day feeding trial with beagles at 5 times the intended dose. Subsequent trials with beagles in a thunderstorm model of noise aversion showed that the material reduced anxiety behaviors and cortisol levels in dogs. The formulation has been released for the companion animal market in Canada and the USA under the Trademark “Zentrol.” Ongoing research is exploring the use of the material in treatment of anxiety and post-traumatic stress in humans.

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Acknowledgements

This research was funded by grants from the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council, Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Canada

    Rui Liu, Fida Ahmed, Martha Mullally & John T. Arnason

  2. University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research, 1145 Carling Ave, Ottawa, Ontario, K1Z 7K4, Canada

    Christian Cayer & Zul Merali

  3. Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Canada

    Ana Francis Carballo

  4. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, 3000, Costa Rica

    Ana Francis Carballo

  5. Herbario Juvenal Valerio Rodriguez, Facultad de las ciencias de la Tierra y el mar, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, 3000, Costa Rica

    Marco Otarola Rojas, Mario Garcia, Pablo E Sanchez, Luis Poveda & Tony Durst

  6. Stonehedge Bioresources, Stirling, Ontario, Canada

    John Baker

  7. Cancog Technologies, 120 Carlton Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5A 4K2, Canada

    Aleksandar Masic

Authors
  1. Rui Liu
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  2. Fida Ahmed
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  3. Christian Cayer
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  4. Martha Mullally
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  6. Marco Otarola Rojas
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  7. Mario Garcia
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  8. John Baker
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  9. Aleksandar Masic
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  10. Pablo E Sanchez
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  11. Luis Poveda
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  12. Zul Merali
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  13. Tony Durst
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  14. John T. Arnason
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to John T. Arnason.

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Conflict of Interest

Several of the authors, Durst, Merali, Sanchez, Arnason, Baker, and Masic have direct involvement in Souroubea Botanicals Inc. which has brought the research to market in animal care field.

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Guest Editor: Pramod B. Mahajan

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Liu, R., Ahmed, F., Cayer, C. et al. New Botanical Anxiolytics for Use in Companion Animals and Humans. AAPS J 19, 1626–1631 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1208/s12248-017-0144-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1208/s12248-017-0144-y

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