PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGICAL STUDIES ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW EXPERIMENTAL MODEL AKIN TO ANXIETY AND ANTIDEPRSSANT POTENTIAL OF SEROTONIN RICH NUTRIENTS

Sapna Pandey, Dr. Shameem Ahmad, Dr. Nasiruddin Ahmad Farooqui* and PraveenKumar, Jiyaul hak

ABSTRACT

Depression and anxiety are the most crippling neuropsychiatric disorders of this modern era. These mostly occur as anxiety followed by depression or in mixed state. Therefore, there is an urgent need of a safe and effective treatment, which proves its worth in this ailment. What else than a conventional food would be a better choice for a convenient therapy. Therefore, Musa paradisiaca and Lycopersicon esculantum, fruit rind has been used in the present study to investigate its antidepressant and anti-anxiety potential using forced swim test, tail suspension test, and reserpine-induced hypothermia; and elevated plus maze, hole-board test, and light dark model, respectively. Musa paradisiaca paste and Lycopersicon esculantum juice fruit rind given to mice with food for consecutive 14 days at 5, 10, and 20 of Musa paradisiaca paste and 5, 10, and 20% of Lycopersicon esculantum juice % w/w significantly (p < 0.01) reduced despair behavior in forced swim test, immobility duration in tail suspension test, and also switched the hypothermia (reserpine induced) to normal temperature significantly (p < 0.01). Musa paradisiaca paste and Lycopersicon esculantum juice significantly (p < 0.01) raised the time elapsed and count of entries in open arms of elevated plus maze, enhanced incidence of head dipping in holes of hole board along with duration of expending time in lit compartment of light dark model, exhibiting its anti-anxiety effect. Musa paradisiaca paste and Lycopersicon esculantum juice significantly reduced monoamine oxidase and malondialdehyde levels providing support to neuroprotective potential of fruit rind.

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