In a previous study, daidzin, a constituent of an ancient Chinese herb
al treatment for alcoholism, decreased home-cage ethanol consumption i
n laboratory Syrian golden hamsters. The present study tested the gene
rality of daidzin's antidipsotropic effects. Rats served as subjects i
n a two-lever choice procedure. At one lever, responses earned 10% eth
anol, flavored with saccharin. At the other lever, responses earned an
isocaloric starch solution. Daidzin decreased both ethanol and starch
consumption, but the decreases in ethanol intake were larger. Changes
in consumption were dose dependent, and differences in ethanol and fo
od consumption increased slightly (but significantly) as dose increase
d. Daidzin produced a similar pattern of decreases in lever pressing.
In baseline, there was an approximately equal distribution of response
s between the two levers; at the highest daidzin dose, the relative nu
mber of responses at the ethanol lever decreased to 30%. These results
replicate and extend earlier findings, and they encourage further res
earch on daidzin's capacity to decrease ethanol consumption.