CNS depressant activity of Chamomile methanol extract in mice

Matricaria chamomilla L. (Asteraceae) is a well-known plant in most ancient traditional medicine and highly used for the cure of numerous medical disorders, insomnia included. Using a sleep disturbed model, pentobarbital sodium and ether induce loss of righting reflex were applied for the evaluation of hypnotic and narcosis effects respectively. In the present study, the methanol extract of Matricaria chamomilla flower, at the intraperitoneal (IP) dose 300 mg/kg, showed considerable restful effect and significantly potentiate the hypnotic effect of pentobarbital sodium, both the latency to sleep and duration time, with a decrease value of 31.9% (P<0.001) and increase values of 53.3% (P<0.01) respectively. On the contrary, the Matricaria chamomilla flower methanol extract did not prolong the narcosis effect induced by ether. These findings indicate that Matricaria chamomilla methanol extract, at the dose used has a potential sedative-hypnotic effect as well as providing a scientific evidence for its traditional use as a sleep inducer.