Dose-response assessment of neuroactive botanical extracts and their bioactive constituents using microelectrode array (MEA) recordings in rat primary cortical cultures.

ABSTRACT:

Context

Use of botanicals is increasing. While often considered as safe, neuromodulatory effects have been demonstrated previously.

Objective

Establish the neuroactive potential of 13 botanical extracts. For 8 of these, we made a direct comparison with their major constituent.

Materials and methods

We used microelectrode array (MEA) recordings of primary rat cortical cultures to evaluate dose-response relationships on neuronal network function in vitro.

Results

Exposure to extracts from milk thistle, usnea, green tea, aristolochia, and ephedra mildly inhibited neuronal activity with distinct neuronal activity phenotypes. Extracts of tripterygium, yohimbe, kratom, and kava strongly inhibited neuronal activity. Despite differences in the degree of inhibiti

SUBMITTER: van Kleef RGDM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12599351 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature