Phcog.Net logo
Submit

BROWSE ALL JOURNALS

    SEE ALL 6 JOURNALS
    Pharmacognosy MagazineNOW IN
    Article

    Effects of Insecticidal Ketones Present in Mint Plants on GABAA Receptor from Mammalian Neurons

    Mariela Eugenia Sánchez-Borzone1, Leticia Delgado Marin1, Daniel Asmed García1★★ Corresponding author

    1. 1Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas (IIBYT), CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 1611, Córdoba 5016, Argentina.

    CORRESPONDENCE

    Daniel Asmed García

    Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas (IIBYT), CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 1611, Córdoba 5016, Argentina.

    dagarcia@efn.uncor.edu

    Received: 31-01-2016; Revised: 08-02-2016; Accepted: 08-02-2016.

    Volume 13, Issue 49 · pp. 114–7 · PUBLISHED 6 January 2017 · DOI: 10.4103/0973-1296.197638

    View on Pharmacogn. Mag. original site ↗

    ABSTRACT

    Background: The genus Mentha, an important member of the Lamiaceae family, is represented by many species commonly known as mint. The insecticidal activity of Mentha oil and its main components has been tested and established against various insects/pests. Among these, the ketone monoterpenes that are most common in different Mentha species demonstrated insect toxicity, with pulegone being the most active, followed by carvone and menthone. Considering that the GABAA receptor (GABAA-R) is one of the main insecticide targets on neurons, and that pulegone would modulate the insect GABA system, it may be expected that the insecticidal properties of Mentha ketones are mediated by their interaction with this receptor. Objective: In order to discern the pharmacological actions of these products when used as insecticides on mammalian organisms, we evaluated the pharmacologic activity of ketones, commonly present in Mentha plants, on native GABAA-R from rats. Materials and Methods: Determination of ketones effects on allosterically enhanced benzodiazepine binding, using primary cultures of cortical neurons, which express functional receptors and MTT assay to evaluate their cell toxicity. Results: Our results seem to indicate that ketone components of Mentha, with proven repellent or insecticide activity, were able to behave as GABAA-R negative allosteric modulators in murine cells and consequently could exhibit convulsant activity in mammalians. Only pulegone at the highest assayed concentration (2 mM) showed a significant reduction in cell viability after exposure for 24 hr. Conclusion: The present results strongly suggest that the ketone components of Mentha are able to exhibit convulsant activity in mammalian organisms, but functional assays and in vivo experiments would be necessary to corroborate this proposed action.

    KEYWORDS

    Open in new tab

    REFERENCES

    As published

    Showing references and in-text citations exactly as published.

      Cite this article

      SELECT FORMAT

      Sánchez-Borzone, M. E., Marin, L. D., & García, D. A. (2017). Effects of Insecticidal Ketones Present in Mint Plants on GABAA Receptor from Mammalian Neurons. Pharmacognosy Magazine, 13(49), 114–7. https://doi.org/10.4103/0973-1296.197638