Lab study, 2021
Does a Japanese herbal medicine help reduce anxiety before a period?
An ethanol extract of a Japanese herbal medicine called Inochinohaha White reduced anxiety-like behavior in rats when hormone levels dropped sharply, suggesting it might help premenstrual anxiety. This was an animal study.
What they did
Female rats were injected with progesterone for 21 days. Starting on day 15, they received either water or ethanol extract of the herbal medicine by mouth. Researchers tested anxiety-like behavior 48 hours after the final progesterone injection.
What they found
When rats stopped progesterone, they showed anxiety-like behavior. The ethanol extract at the tested dose significantly reduced this anxiety. The water extract did not help. The ethanol extract increased a brain receptor called GABA A receptor beta2-subunit in the amygdala (a brain area involved in emotion) and increased BDNF (a brain protein with anxiety-reducing effects) in a dose-dependent way.
What it means for you
An ethanol version of this herbal medicine may help with anxiety when hormone levels drop sharply before a period. The benefit was seen only in rats, and only the ethanol extract worked, not the water version.
21 days
Progesterone injection period
300 mg/kg
Ethanol extract dose
48 hours
Time of anxiety testing after final progesterone
About the study
- Original title
- A Japanese herbal medicine attenuates anxiety-like behavior through GABA A receptor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression in a rat model of premenstrual syndrome
- Authors
- Iba H, Watanabe T, Motomura S et al.
- Journal
- Journal of pharmacological sciences
- Year
- 2021
- Study design
- Lab study
- What was tested
- Inochinohaha White (ethanol extract)
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/j.jphs.2020.11.003
Topics
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