Cathinone, an active principle of Catha edulis, accelerates oxidative stress in the limbic area of swiss albino mice

• Published in: Journal of ethnopharmacology Vol. 156; pp. 102 - 106
• Main Authors: Safhi, Mohammed M., Alam, Mohammad Firoz, Hussain, Sohail, Hakeem Siddiqui, Mohammed Abdul, Khuwaja, Gulrana, Jubran Khardali, Ibrahim Abdu, Al-Sanosi, Rashad Mohammed, Islam, Fakhrul
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier Ireland Ltd 28-10-2014
• Subjects: Alkaloids - pharmacology; Animals; Antioxidant enzymes; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Catalase - metabolism; Catha; Cathinone; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Glutathione; Glutathione - metabolism; Limbic areas; Limbic System - metabolism; Lipid peroxidation; Lipid Peroxidation - drug effects; Mice; Oxidative Stress; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Superoxide Dismutase - metabolism; Swiss albino mice; Swiss albino mice; Antioxidant enzymes; Lipid peroxidation; Cathinone (PubChem CID: 62258); Cathinone; Glutathione; Limbic areas
• ISSN: 0378-8741; 1872-7573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2014.08.004

Cathinone hydrochloride is an active principle of the khat plant (Catha edulis) that produces pleasurable and stimulating effects in khat chewers. To the best of our knowledge no data of cathinone on oxidative stress in limbic areas of mice is available. This is the first study of cathinone on oxidative stress in limbic areas of the brain in Swiss albino male mice.
The animals were divided into four groups. Group-I was the control group and received vehicle, while groups-II to IV received (−)-cathinone hydrochloride (0.125, 0.25 and 0.5mg/kg body wt., i.p.) once daily for 15 days.
The level of lipid peroxidation (LPO) was elevated dose-dependently and was significant (p<0.05, p<0.01) with doses of 0.25 and 0.5mg/kg body wt. of cathinone as compared to control group. In contrast, the content of reduced glutathione (GSH) was decreased significantly (p<0.01, p<0.001) with doses of 0.25 and 0.5mg/kg body wt. of cathinone as compared to control group. The activity of antioxidant enzymes (GPx, GR, GST, CAT, and SOD) was also decreased dose-dependently: the decreased activity of GPx, GR, catalase and SOD was significant with doses of 0.25 and 0.5mg of cathinone as compared to control group, while the activity of GST was decreased dose-dependently and was significant with 0.5mg of cathinone as compared to control group.
The results indicate that the cathinone generated oxidative stress hampered antioxidant enzymes, glutathione and lipid peroxidation.
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