Chemical composition and effect of Ungernia victoris tissue culture extract on behavioral responses, movement coordination, and pain sensitivity in mice

Abstract

Our attention was drawn to the Central Asian endemic plant of the Amaryllis (Amaryllidaceae) family Ungernia victoris Vved. ex Artjush., a source of the alkaloid galantamine, which is used as an anticholinesterase agent in the treatment of many diseases. Currently, the key problem remains the lack of raw material base for this plant, so one of the alternative methods for obtaining its biologically active
substances is tissue culture.
The aim of the study – to determine the chemical composition and investigate the effect of the U. victoris tissue culture extract on the functional state of the CNS, muscle tone, and pain sensitivity in
an experiment on mice.
The highly productive UV-15 strain of U. victoris tissue culture obtained at the Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine was the starting material. A dense
extract of U. victoris (DEUV) was obtained from dried cell biomass using 70% ethanol as an extractant. Chemical composition of DEUV has been investigated. The content of water-soluble mono- and
polysaccharides was been determined via iodometric titration, total polyphenols was determined by the spectrophotometric method with the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent, and chromatographic-mass
spectrometric screening was performed for the content of substances described as hemanthamine and galanthamine type alkaloids.
Pharmacological studies were conducted on adult outbred albino male mice. DEUV was administered 30–40 min before testing at a dose of 5 g/kg intragastrically, previously dissolved in water (0.1 ml/10 g).
Control animals received an equivalent amount of water. The effects of DEUV on the behavior of mice was assessed in the open field test, the coordination of movements was studied in the rotarod test, the
level of anxiety was determined in the light-dark chamber test, the formation and reproduction of a memory trace – in the test of conditioned passive avoidance reflex, and the pain sensitivity – in the hot plate test.
It was found that DEUV contains mono- and polysaccharides, polyphenols. Chromatographic screening data showed the presence of compounds capable of protonation, which according to ESI
mass spectra do not contradict galantamine and/or its isomers.
In the open field test DEUV increased the orientation and exploratory activity of animals, but did not significantly affect locomotor activity and emotional reactions, and did not have noticeable stimulating
or depressing properties. DEUV improved the coordination of movements in the rotarod test, and also had a mild anxiolytic effect in the light-dark chamber test. The effect of DEUV on memory and pain sensitivity of intact animals was not detected.
Therefore, the dense extract obtained from the dry cell biomass of U. victoris tissue culture (strain UV-15) can be considered a promising neurotropic agent for further research.