Medicinal plants, as new drugs, are considered for treatment of
insomnia, anxiety, depression,
confusion,
nausea, and
vomiting symptoms. The current study aimed to evaluate the neuroprotective and
antiemetic effects of Albizia. julibrissin Durazz. flower extract in the chickens.
Emesis was induced by
copper sulfate and
ipecac (60 and 600 mg/kg, orally, respectively) and the methanolic extract (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg) were injected intraperitoneally (i.p.). Mitochondrial function, lipid peroxidation (LPO),
protein carbonyl (PC) content, and
catalase activity as
biomarkers of oxidative damage were evaluated in the brain mitochondria. All doses of extract showed significant (p < 0.001)
antiemetic activity against induced
emesis by
copper sulfate and
ipecac. Brain mitochondria function (by 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg of extract) were increased 48%, 85%, and 90% against
emesis induced by
ipecac and 32%, 18%, and 24% against
emesis induced by
copper sulfate, respectively. LPO and PC contents were significantly decreased after the administration of extract in
emesis induced by
copper sulfate and
ipecac. A significant decrease (p < 0.01) of CAT activity was observed in the extract (200 mg/kg) group in
emesis induced by
copper sulfate in chickens brain mitochondria. The present study suggests that the extract had
antiemetic effects against
emesis induced by
copper sulfate and
ipecac in young chickens via peripheral and central mechanisms.
Neuroprotective effect of the extract could be due to the increase in bioactive compounds, plasma
antioxidants, or direct
free radical scavenging that could prevent
lipid and
protein alteration and impede the formation of oxidative damage.