OBJECTIVETo study the sedative, hypnotic and antiseizure effects of the compound preparation of gardenia oil and jujube seed oil in mice and investigate the interaction of the two drugs in this preparation.

METHODSThe compound preparation was administered intragastrically in mice, whose spontaneous activity was observed along with their tolerance of the preparation after long-term administration. The hypnotic effect of the compound was assessed by investigating the changes in the pentobarbital sodium-induced sleeping. The compound was tested for its antiseizure effect in mice with pentetrazole-induced clonic and tonic convulsion. Diazepam was used as the standard control in all experiments.

RESULTSThe jujube seed oil, the gardenia oil and their compound all inhibited spontaneous activities of the mice. Compared with diazepam, the compound showed slow action in producing the sedative effect, which increased gradually with prolonged drug administration without obvious drug tolerance responses. The compound and the two oils all showed synergistic action with pentobarbital sodium in inducing sleeping of the mice. Prescription study showed that the compound produced stronger sedative and hypnotic effects than either of the oils. The two oils and the compound did not show significant antiseizure effects in mice.

CONCLUSIONThe compound of jujube seed oil and gardenia oil has sedative and hypnotic effects in mice, and the two oils in the compound show obvious synergistic effect.