Green and gold kiwifruit peel ethanol extracts potentiate pentobarbital-induced sleep in mice via a GABAergic mechanism

Kiwifruit is one of the most popular fruits worldwide, and it has various biological properties, including antioxidant, anti-allergic, and cardiovascular protective effects. The peel of kiwifruit, which is a by-product of processing, is a good source of flavonoids; however, its bioactivity has not been widely investigated. In this study, we evaluated the hypnotic effects of green (GRPE, Actinidia deliciosa) and gold (GOPE, Actinidia chinensis) kiwifruit peel ethanol extracts and their solvent fractions, and the possible underlying mechanisms. Oral GRPE and GOPE administration (125–1000 mg/kg) produced a dose-dependent decrease in sleep latency and an increase in sleep duration in pentobarbital-treated mice. Among three different solvent fractions of GRPE and GOPE, ethyl acetate (EA) fractions had the greatest effect on sleep duration at 250 mg/kg. The total flavonoid contents of solvent fractions were proportional to sleep duration. Like diazepam (a GABAA–benzodiazepine (BZD) receptor agonist), the hypnotic effects of GRPE, GOPE, and their EA fractions were fully inhibited by flumazenil (a GABAA–BZD receptor antagonist). These results suggest that potentiation effects of GRPE and GOPE on pentobarbital-induced sleep in mice may be modulated by a GABAergic mechanism.