EXPERIMENTAL EVALUATION OF ANTIDEPRESSANT ACTIVITY OF PLANT LAVANDULA STOECHAS IN SCOPOLAMINE INDUCED ANIMAL MODELS

Umama Shoukath*

ABSTRACT

Context: Anxiety and depression are common disease. Despite some evidence, it is difficult to confirm Lavandula officinalis antidepressant drug. Objective: The effects of L. Stoechas extract were studied in scopolamine-induced memory impairment, anxiety and depression-like behaviour. Materials and Methods: Male rats were divided into control, scopolamine alone-treated group received scopolamine (0.1mg/kg) intraperitoneally (i.p.), daily and 30 min prior to performing behavioural testing on test day, for 12 continuous days and extract pretreated groups received aerial parts hydro alcoholic extract (i.p.) (200, 400 and 800 mg/kg), 30 min before each scopolamine injection. Memory impairment was assessed by Y-maze task, while, elevated plus maze and forced swimming test were used to measure anxiolytic and antidepressive-like activity. Results: Spontaneous alternation percentage in Y maze is increased by scopolamine (15±0.42), whereas lavender (800 mg/kg) enhanced it more (14.5±0.78). Also, lavender pretreatment in LS(800) showed most climbing activity, LS(400) showed highest swimming, LS(200) showed most immobility among all extracts in Forced swimming test (FST). Discussion and Conclusion: Lavender extracts improved scopolamine-induced memory impairment giving a clue about therapeutic dose of LS extract should be high i.e. LS(800 mg/kg) for efficacious antidepressant activity.

Keywords: L. Stoechas, antidepressant activity, Y maze, FST.