Evaluation of anti-depressant activity of ethanolic extract of Verbascum thapsus in albino mice

Abstract

the present study the obtained results were compared with standard drugs and it was observed that methanolic extract produces 43.12% age yield. The Preliminary phytochemical studies were performed and chemical components of extracts were identified that the leaf extracts for alkaloids, flavonoids and tannins. The extracts doses were identified by using acute toxicity studies as recommended by experts in O.E.C.D guidelines and determined for their activity. The optimum safe concentration was determined to be up to 2000 g/kg, since no mortality and abnormal toxicity was observed at this dose and it was finalised that selected dose of leaf extracts are 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg as per body weight and the extracts were given by oral administration (p.o.). Neuropharmacological activity was carried out by performing various experimental models like general behavioural test, locomotor activity (Actophotometer), anxiolytic activity by Elevated Plus Maze (EPM) and Light-Dark model transition (LD), antidepressant activity like Forced Swim Test (FST) and antioxidant activity by DPPH model ( in-vitro method). The methanolic leaf extracts of Verbascum Thapsus showed moderate activity in general behaviour at the dose of 200 and 400 mg/kg compared with Diazepam (2 mg/kg). The Methanolic leaf extracts of Verbascum Thapsus at the dose of 200 and 400 mg/kg showed significant (**p<0.05) increase locomotor stimulator activity activity when compared with Diazepam. The antidepressant activity was carried out by FST. The results were observed that the Methanolic leaf extract of Verbascum Thapsus showed a significant (**p<0.05) decrease in the mmobility period at dose of 400 mg/kg when compared with that of Fluoxetine, a standard drug. The leaves extract of Verbascum Thapsus evaluated for anxiolytic activity in mice using EPM and LD. The mice treated with erbascum Thapsus leaf extracts at the dose of 400 mg/kg, showed significantly (p<0.05) increased the time spent in the open arm and in the total number of entries in the EPM and also increased the time spent in the light area and decreased the time spent in the dark area with respect to control and diazepam (2 mg/kg). Leaf extracts of MK and NN were showed to possess a reduction in DPPH radicals and this can be observed by decreases in absorbance at 517 nm. In the present study Methanolic leaf extracts of Verbascum Thapsus had showed a significant (*p<0.05) at 160 and 320 ?g/ml and the IC50 values were found to increase respectively with the increasing concentrations of reference standard, Ascorbic acid.