An insight on the neuropharmacological activity of Telescopium telescopium--a mollusc from the Sunderban mangrove.

Abstract

The present study was carried out to evaluate the biological properties of the tissue extract of a marine snail Telescopium telescopium, collected from the coastal regions of West Bengal India. On extensive pharmacological screening, it was found that the biological extract of T. telescopium (TTE) produced significant central nervous system (CNS)-depressant activity as observed from the reduced spontaneous motility, potentiation of pentobarbitone induced sleeping time, hypothermia and respiratory depression with transient apnoea. The extract significantly decreased both residual curiosity and also muscle coordination. The fraction, obtained following saturation with 60-80% ammonium sulphate (80S), was also found to demonstrate predominant CNS-depressant activity. It was observed that both TTE and the 80S fraction significantly altered the brain noradrenaline and homovanillic acid levels without affecting the brain gamma amino butyric acid (GABA) concentration. Based on the present observations, it can be suggested that the CNS-depressant effects produced by TTE and 80S could be attributable to modified catecholamine metabolism in the brain.