Abstract
BACKGROUND: Dependence and withdrawal syndrome caused by opioids are the most important and unambiguous factors in the clinical use of narcotic painkillers. Some evidence indicates the beneficial effects of herbal fragments in attenuating this complication. In the current study, the impact of black seed oil (BSO) and opium poppy oil (OPO) was investigated on the symptoms of morphine withdrawal syndrome in mice. METHODS: For three days, morphine was administrated to induce dependence in mice. To induce the withdrawal syndrome, on the 4th day, naloxone was injected. Thirty minutes before naloxone administration, various doses of BSO (250, 500 mg/kg) and OPO (150, 300 mg/kg) were given as active treatments, along with saline and clonidine, to 6 groups. The data obtained were compared to those from other groups that received clonidine and saline separately (n=8). The levels of excitability, anxiety-like behavior, and pain threshold were assessed using the open field test, elevated plus maze (EPM), and hot plate tests. FINDINGS: Clonidine and both studied doses of BSO significantly increased the presence of mice in the light arm of the EPM (P<0.05). The irritability and locomotion in animals with withdrawal syndrome in the groups that received BSO and clonidine considerably reduced and the pain sensitivity was elevated (P<0.05). There was no significant difference between the BSO and clonidine groups. OPO did not significantly improve symptoms. CONCLUSION: The present results revealed that the administration of BSO is effective in relieving the manifestations of morphine withdrawal syndrome, including anxiety, irritability, and motor activity, in a manner comparable to clonidine.