EXPLORING THE NEUROBEHAVIOURAL EFFECTS OF BUTTERFLYPEA FLOWER EXTRACT IN ZEBRAFISH [DANIO RERIO] MODEL

Abstract

The side effects of pharmaceutical sedatives become a growing clinical concern, so natural alternatives are gaining traction. This study investigates the neuropharmacological potential of butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea) flower extracts prepared through both hot and cold methods using adult zebrafish as a vertebrate model. We compared the behavioural impacts of both hot and cold aqueous flower extracts and our observations revealed that both preparation methods successfully induced a dose-dependent reduction in swimming velocity and total distance travelled. We tracked their movement and rest periods across different doses. The hot aqueous extract demonstrated superior potency compared to the cold version, likely due to a more efficient release of thermally stable phytochemicals during the boiling process. These findings suggest that the plant has a real calming or CNS-depressant effect that is dose-dependent and has a traditional use as a natural sedative and provide a quantitative basis for further research into its GABAergic mechanisms.