Efecto sedante de extractos de las hojas de Pedilanthus tithymaloides (L.) Poit.

introduction: pedilanthus tithymaloides (l.) poit is widely known as "itamo real" and numerous therapeutical applications have been attributed to it. objetives: to evaluate the neurosedative effect of different fractions of extracts from p. tithymaloides leaves. methods: succesives extractions were made from smashed dry leaves, with the purpose of obtaining several fractions using toluene, chloroform and hydroalcohol solvents (1:1); the neurosedative activity was also evaluated with an exploratory behaviour model in mice as an indication of this effect and data were processed with duncan′s statistical test, with a level of significance of p< 0.05. results: out of the fractions obtained by fractioned crystallization of toluene extract, triterpene showed sedative effect at a dose over 100 mg/kg. the fraction containing the rest of toluene extract revealed no activity. on the other hand, the chloroform extract also showed neurosedative effect whereas two other fractions were obtained from hydroalcoholic extract because of change of solvent polarity; these fractions exhibited slight sedative activity; the phenol crude reduced the exploratory behaviours at 200 mg/kg dose whereas the remaining fraction showed this kind of action at 450 mg/kg. conclusions: p. tithymaloides possesses some compounds that provide it with a sedative effect.