¹Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
²Department of Pharmacy, Benazir Shaheed University Lyari, Karachi, Pakistan
³Department of Pharmacology, Chalapathi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chalapathi Nagar, Lam, Guntur- 522034, Andhra Pradesh, India DOI : 10.35333/jrp.2020.218 In this study, we used methanolic extract of Morinda citrifolia Linn. fruit (MMC) in order to find its effect against ethanol seeking behavior in a modified mouse runway paradigm. During conditioning/acquisition animals were treated with accelerated doses of ethanol (0.5-4 g/kg, i.p.) for 5 days (Day 1- Day 5). Then, ethanol seeking behavior was assessed on Day 6 (postconditioning test). Ethanol seeking behavior was confirmed in ethanol control group in which the run time to reach the target box was significantly decreased. The test drug MMC (1, 3, and 5 g/kg, p.o.) caused a significant reversal of the ethanol seeking behavior by increasing the run time to reach the goal box as seen with the reference drug acamprosate (ACAM; 300 mg/kg, p.o.) in mice. After postconditioning test, nonrewarded abolishment assays were performed for a period of five days (Day 7 –Day 11). After 5 days of abolishment (abstinence), a priming dose of ethanol (the highest dose at 1/5th portion applied in control (i.e. 0.8 g/kg, i.p.)) in house cage significantly reinstated the ethanol-seeking behavior. Interestingly, MMC at a higher dose (5 g/kg, p.o.) showed significant halt on ethanol-induced reinstatement in mice as shown with the reference drug ACAM (300 mg/kg, p.o.). The outcome of this study reveals that MMC alleviated ethanol seeking behaviour in modified mouse runway paradigm and it could be effectively used to treat alcohol dependence. Keywords : Alcohol dependence; acamprosate; Morinda citrifolia Linn; mouse runway paradigm; selfadministration