Saikosaponin A, an active ingredient of Bupleurum falcatum for addictions

[Alchemica]

I've really struggled with addictions (primarily self-medication and escaping some rather complicated life issues) and at present still struggle with a prescribed dependence on pregabalin which is starting to turn ugly. I'm particularly interested in novel treatments for addiction and found this to be quite interesting:

 

 

Reducing effect of saikosaponin A, an active ingredient of Bupleurum falcatum, on alcohol self-administration in rats: Possible involvement of the GABAB receptor.

 

Recent studies demonstrated that treatment with saikosaponin A (SSA) - an active ingredient of the medicinal herb, Bupleurum falcatum L. - selectively suppressed, likely via a GABAB receptor-mediated mechanism, intravenous self-administration of morphine and cocaine in rats [Yoon et al., 2012; 2013]. The present study was designed to investigate whether the capacity of SSA to suppress morphine and cocaine self-administration extends to oral alcohol self-administration. To this end, selectively bred Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP) rats were trained to lever-respond on a Fixed Ratio (FR) 4 (FR4) schedule of reinforcement for alcohol (15%, v/v) in daily 30-min sessions. Once responding had stabilized, rats were tested under the FR4 (measure of alcohol reinforcing properties) and Progressive Ratio (PR; measure of alcohol motivational properties) schedules of reinforcement. The possible involvement of the GABAB receptor system was investigated testing the effect of (a) pretreatment with the GABAB receptor antagonist, SCH50911, and ( b ) combined treatment with the positive allosteric modulator of the GABAB receptor, GS39783. Treatment with SSA (0, 0.25, 0.5, and 1mg/kg, i.p.) markedly reduced lever-responding for alcohol, amount of self-administered alcohol, and breakpoint for alcohol (defined as the lowest response requirement not achieved in the PR experiment). Pretreatment with 2mg/kg SCH50911 (i.p.) resulted in a partial blockade of the reducing effect of 0.5mg/kg SSA on lever-responding for alcohol and amount of self-administered alcohol. Combination of per se ineffective doses of GS39783 (5mg/kg, i.g.) and SSA (0.1mg/kg, i.p.) reduced lever-responding for alcohol and amount of self-administered alcohol. These results (a) extend to alcohol self-administration the capacity of SSA to suppress morphine and cocaine self-administration in rats and ( b ) suggest that the GABAB receptor system is likely part of the neural substrate underlying the reducing effect of SSA on alcohol self-administration

 

 

.

                          saikosaponin A

 

Unfortunately it seems the concentration of saikosaponin A in the plant material is low, one Bupleurum 50:1 extract contains 0.0650 % [1]

 

Bupleurum falcatum has been found to possess antidepressant properties, mediated through the serotonergic & noradrenergic systems (although the precise mechanism remains to be found). [wikipedia]

 

Anticonvulsant properties have been reported, mediated in part via inhibiting the NMDA receptor current [2]

 

Anyone have experience with this plant?

Edited April 18, 2016 by Alchemica