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This study evaluated the sedative activity of abietic acid (AA) through a thiopental sodium (TS)‐induced sleep model in mice. AA (5, 10, and 20 mg/kg) and diazepam (DZP) (2 mg/kg) were provided, followed by TS (20 mg/kg) after 30 min to induce sleep. Sleep latency and total sleeping time were documented over a 4 h period. Additionally, molecular docking studies were conducted to examine the interactions of AA with GABA A (Protein Data Bank: 6X3X) receptors, which hold two subunits of α1 and β2, alongside pharmacokinetic and toxicity assessments. The results indicated that AA significantly ( p < 0.05) provided the fast onset of sleeping and extended sleeping time in a dose‐dependent manner. The combination of AA (20 mg/kg) with DZP further enhanced sedation, yielding a prolonged sleep duration and a reduced sleep latency, indicating a synergistic effect. In addition, in silico analysis expressed that AA exhibited a strong binding affinity for GABA A receptors (–7.9 kcal/mol), comparable to DZP (–8.4 kcal/mol). Furthermore, AA demonstrated favorable pharmacokinetic properties and drug‐likeness. Overall, these findings suggest that AA possesses potent sedative effects, likely mediated through interactions with the GABAergic system, warranting further investigation for its therapeutic potential in sleep disorders.
Afroz et al. (Sun,) studied this question.