PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF GUARANA (PAULLINIA-CUPANA MART) IN LABORATORY-ANIMALS

Mice that ingested a suspension of guarana (Paullinia cupana, Sapindac eae) in a dose of 0.3 mg/ml showed a significant increase in physical capacity when subjected to a stressful situation such as forced swimmi ng after 100 and 200 days of treatment. Such an effect, however, was n ot obtained with a concentration of 3.0 mg/ml, nor with the ingestion of a suspension of ginseng 5.0 mg/ml, nor of a solution of caffeine 0. 1 mg/ml. Guarana, both after a single (3.0 and 30 mg/kg) or chronic ad ministrations (0.3 mg/ml), was able to partially reverse the amnesic e ffect of scopolamine as measured through a passive avoidance test in m ice and rats, indicating a positive effect on memory acquisition. Howe ver, no effect was observed when an active avoidance task was used in rats, even after 20 days of guarana administration. There was also a t endency of rats treated with 0.3 mg/ml of guarana to better maintain t he memory of a Lashley III maze path. The animals had the same average lifespan, indicating a low toxicity of guarana, even after 23 months of treatment. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.