The antipsychotic potential of Salix Mucronata on ketamine-induced rats.
Ntombifuthi P Ngubane, Musa V Mabandla, Brenda Z De Gama
IBRO Neuroscience Reports December 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibneur.2024.06.003 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Animal experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 45 |
| Population | Adult male Sprague Dawley rats |
| Interventions | Ketamine Risperidone |
| Dose | 30 mg/kg ketamine, 6 mg/kg risperidone, 5 mg/kg Salix mucronata extract |
| Duration | 5-day ketamine induction, 7-day treatment period |
| Topics | Esketamine Ketamine |
| Keywords | Herbal medicine Mental disorders Risperidone Salix mucronata Mental health treatments Schizophrenia research Traditional medicine Willow bark therapy |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key findings | Both risperidone and Salix mucronata extract reversed ketamine-induced social withdrawal and reduced social novelty in rats, and increased dopamine and acetylcholine levels, indicating similar antipsychotic potential. |
Abstract
Salix mucronata is one of the herbal plants offered by the traditional health practitioners in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa for the treatment of schizophrenia. This study aimed to investigate the effects of repeated administration of ketamine on social interaction, novelty and motivation in adult, male Sprague Dawley rats. It also aimed to investigate the potential of risperidone and the herbal extract of S. mucronata to reverse impairments that are induced by ketamine. Experimental rats (n=45) received a dose of ketamine at 30 mg/kg via intraperitoneal injection for 5 consecutive days. They were then allocated into their respective treatment groups and given risperidone (APD) and the herbal extract of S. mucronata (TM) at doses of 6 mg/kg and 5 mg/kg, respectively, for 7 consecutive days. Social behaviour was tested using the 3-chambered sociability test, and anhedonia was tested using the sucrose preference test. Ketamine induction elicited social withdrawal and reduced social novelty which were later successfully reversed by risperidone and S. mucronata. The rats showed reduced preference to sucrose post-induction and post-treatment. Ketamine and mild stress caused by scruff restraint elicited reduced weight gain for the animals. No differences were noted on brain mass between controls and experimental groups and also between risperidone and S. mucronata groups. However, reduced brain volume was noted in experimental groups. Dopamine and acetylcholine concentration levels were high in groups which received risperidone and S. mucronata. These findings highlight that the antipsychotic potential of S. mucronata is similar to risperidone.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on ketamine, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| mTOR-Dependent Synapse Formation Underlies the Rapid Antidepressant Effects of NMDA Antagonists Rats | 2010 | Observational study | |
| Activation of Glutamatergic Neurotransmission by Ketamine: A Novel Step in the Pathway from NMDA Receptor Blockade to Dopaminergic and Cognitive Disruptions Associated with the Prefrontal Cortex Conscious rats | 1997 | Dose-response study with microdialysis and behavioral testing | |
| NMDAR inhibition-independent antidepressant actions of ketamine metabolites Mice | 2016 | Preclinical study | |
| The dissociative anaesthetics, ketamine and phencyclidine, selectively reduce excitation of central mammalian neurones by N‐methyl‐aspartate Spinal neurons in decerebrate or pentobarbitone-anaesthetized cats and rats | 1983 | Experimental study | |
| R-ketamine: a rapid-onset and sustained antidepressant without psychotomimetic side effects Mice | 2015 | Experimental study |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
- Sigma-1 Receptor Activation by Fluvoxamine Ameliorates ER Stress, Synaptic Dysfunction and Behavioral Deficits in a Ketamine Model of Schizophrenia. Journal of Neuroimmune Pharmacology July 25, 2025
- Sabinene's neuroprotective effect reverses ketamine-induced experimental schizophrenia in mice through enhancement of cholinergic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. Journal of Psychiatric Research March 5, 2026
Cites 4
- Mechanisms of Ketamine Action as an Antidepressant Molecular Psychiatry March 13, 2018
- Repeated Ketamine Exposure Induces an Enduring Resilient Phenotype in Adolescent and Adult Rats Biological Psychiatry June 19, 2013
- Efficacy of antipsychotics to reverse phencyclidine-induced social interaction deficits in female rats--a preliminary investigation. Behavioural Brain Research March 5, 2008
- Stimulation of the metabotropic glutamate 2/3 receptor attenuates social novelty discrimination deficits induced by neonatal phencyclidine treatment. Psychopharmacology July 2007