Abstract

Nowadays, more and more people are suffering from insomnia with difficulty in initiating or maintaining sleep. Ganoderma lucidum (G. lucidum) and Ziziphi spinosae (Z. Spinosae) are conventional herbal drugs in traditional Chinese medicine and they have been used lonely for the treatment of insomnia. In the present study, G. lucidum and Z. spinosae were combined and the active fractions were extracted to make the capsule. Furthermore, their effect on improving sleep in mice was investigated. The functional compositions of the capsule were polysaccharide, total flavone, spinosin and triterpenoid, with the content being 12.08, 1.35, 0.67 and 1.50 g/100 g, respectively. The effect of the capsule on improving sleep in mice was studied. Results showed no effects on the sleep induced directly in mice assessed with the loss-of-righting reflex even at the high dose of 450, 1350 mg/kg/day. However, the capsule significantly decreased sleep latency and increased sleeping time and prolonged sleeping time induced by pentobarbital sodium at high doses. In conclusion, the capsule of G. lucidum and Z. spinozae combined had the function of improving sleep.

Keywords:

Functional composition, Ganoderma lucidum, pentobarbital sleep, Zizhiphi spinozae,

References

1. Chu, Q.P., L.E. Wang, X.Y. Cui, H.Z. Fu, Z.B. Lin and et al., 2007. Extract of Ganoderma lucidum potentiates pentobarbital-induced sleep via a GABAergic mechanism [J]. Pharm. Biochem. Behav., 86(4): 693-698.
   CrossRef    PMid:17383716    
2. Cui, Z.M., 1987. Studies on the pharmacological effects and clinical applications of semen Ziziphi Spinosae [J]. J. Gansu. Coll. Trad. Chin. Med., 3: 49.
   
3. Eun, J.S., H.N. Kwon and J.T. Hong, 2006. Inhibitory effects of (-) Epigallocatech in gallate on morphine-induced locomotor sensitization and conditional place preference in mice [J]. J. Appl. Pharm., 14: 125-131.
   
4. Freeman, H.L., 1996. Is there a need for a pure hypnotic? Approaches to the codiagnosis of insomnia and anxiety [J]. J. Drug Dev. Clin. Pract., 7: 289-302.
   
5. Gao, Y.H., S.F. Zhou and G.L. Chen, 2002. A phase I/II study of a Ganoderma lucidum extract (Ganopoly) in patients with advanced cancer [J]. Int. J. Med. Mushroom., 4: 207-214.
   CrossRef    
6. Gao, Y.H., J. Lan and X.H. Dai, 2004. A phase I/II study of LingZhi mushroom Ganoderma lucidum (W.Curt.Fr.) Lloyd (Aphyllophoromycetideae) extracts in patients with type II diabetes mellitus [J]. Int. J. Med. Mushroom., 6: 33-39.
   CrossRef    
7. Griffiths, A.N., D.M. Jones and A. Richens, 1986. Zopiclone produces effects on human performance similar to flurazepam, lormetazepam and triazolam [J]. Br. J. Clin. Pharmacol., 21: 647-653.
   CrossRef    PMid:2874822 PMCid:PMC1400986    
8. Guo, S.M and X.W. Fan, 1996. Semen Zizhiphi Spinozae's spinosin affect on central inhibition founction [J]. Northwest Medi., 8(11): 166.
   
9. Guo, S.M and X.W. Fan, 1998. Semen Zizhiphi Spinozae's total flavanone affect on central inhibition function [J]. Trad. Chin. Med., 21(11): 578.
   
10. Hsien-Chang, W., C. Yen-Hui, L. Jung-Nien, H. Jing-Shiang and W. Jung-Der, 2011. Improving sleep quality in climacteric women with insomnia: A randomized, head-to-head trial between Jia-Wei-Shiau-Yau San (JWSYS) and Suan-Zao-Ren Tang (SZRT). Eur. J. Int. Med., 3: 143-151.
    CrossRef    
11. Huang, W and B.Q. Jin, 2008. Content determination of functional composition of semen ziziphi spinosae and its effect on sleep improvement of mice [J]. Lish. Med. Mat. Med. Res., 19(5).
    
12. Jiang, H and Y. Pen, 2008. Functional research of Ganoderrma lucidum extract on sleep of rats [J]. Lish. Med. Mat. Med. Res., 19(9): 2231-2232.
    
13. Ko, H.H., C.F. Hung, J.P. Wang and C.N. Lin, 2008. Antiinflammatory triterpenoids and steroids from Ganoderma lucidum and G. Tsugae. Phytochemistry, 69: 234-239.
    CrossRef    PMid:17655889    
14. Lai, T., Y.H. Gao and S.F. Zhou, 2004. Global marketing of Ganoderma products and safety concerns [J]. Int. J. Med. Mushroom., 6: 185-190.
    CrossRef    
15. Li, E.W., J.B. Yan and R.S. Xiao, 2008. Spinosin, a C-glycoside flavonoid from semen Zizhiphi Spinozae, potentiated pentobarbital-induced sleep via the serotonergic system. Pharm. Biochem. Behav., 90: 399-403.
    CrossRef    PMid:18466960    
16. Li, Y.J., W. Liu, J.Y. Yang, R. Wang and K.S. Bi, 2002. Preliminary study on the sedative and hypnotic effects of the Suanzaoren decoction [J]. J. Shenyang. Pharm. Uni., 19: 115-117.
    
17. Li-En, W., B. Yan-Jing, S. Xiao-Rong, C. Xiang-Yu, C. Su-Ying, Z. Fan, Z. Qing-Ying, Z. Yu-Ying and Z. Yong-He, 2008. Spinosin, a C-glycoside flavonoid from semen Zizhiphi Spinozae, potentiated pentobarbital-induced sleep via the serotonergic system. Pharm. Biochem. Behav., 90(3): 399-403.
    CrossRef    PMid:18466960    
18. Ma, Y., H. Ma and J.S. Eun, 2009. Methanol extract of longanae arillus augments pentobarbital-induced sleep behaviors through the modification of GAB Aergic systems [J]. J. Ethnopharm., 122(2): 245-250.
    CrossRef    
19. Peng, Z.C and J.J. Zhu, 2001. Research advances in chemical constituents and pharmacological effects of semen Ziziphi Spinosae [J]. Lishizhen Med. Med. Res., 12: 86-87.
    
20. Sui, H., G.Q. Zhang, G. Sun and G. He, 2007. The sedation and hypnotic effects of the semen zizyphi spinosi mixture in mice [J]. Ningxia Med. J., 29: 963-964.
    
21. Wang, X.H., Z. Lv and X. Wang, 2006. Sedative and hypnotic effects of suanzaoren decoction in different dose [J]. J. Shanxi Coll. Trad. Chin. Med., 7: 19-20.
    
22. Wang, L.E., Y.J. Bai and X.R. Shi, 2008. Spinosin, a C-glycoside flavonoid from semen Zizhiphi Spinozae, potentiated pentobarbital-induced sleep via the serotonergic system [J]. Pharm. Biochem. Behav., 90(3): 399-403.
    CrossRef    PMid:18466960    
23. Wang, X.L., S.Y. Meng and C.P. Wang, 2001. Clinical trials of Ganoderma lucidum on 60 patients suffered insomnia [J]. J. Chi. Med., 16: 47-49.
    
24. Weyerer, S and H. Dilling, 1991. Prevalence and treatment of insomnia in the community: Results from the upper Bavarian field study [J]. Sleep, 14: 392-398.
    PMid:1759091    
25. Xianliang, C., L. Xingcun, S. Daping, H. Dake, L. Weizu and W. Xin, 2012. Distinction of broken cellular wall Ganoderma lucidum spores and G. Lucidum spores using FTIR microspectroscopy. Spectrochim. Acta A, 97: 667-672.
    CrossRef    PMid:22885115    
26. Yuan, C.L., Z.B. Wang and Y. Jiao, 1987. Studies on the sedative and hypnotic constituents of flavonoids in semen Ziziphi Spinosae [J]. China J. Chin. Mat. Med., 12: 34.
    
27. Zhang, Z.J., 2004. Therapeutic effects of herbal extracts and constituents in animal models of psychiatric disorders [J]. Life Sci., 75: 1659-1699.
    CrossRef    PMid:15268969    

Competing interests

The authors have no competing interests.

Open Access Policy

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.

Copyright

The authors have no competing interests.