Comparative Effects of Orange Blossom, Violet, and Marjoram Extracts and Lorazepam on Sleep Deprivation-Induced Anxiety in Mice

Abstract

Sleep deprivation leads to various disorders, and abnormal anxiety is one of the most important among those. Although hypnotics, such as lorazepam, are effective in this regard, the respective agents have numerous side effects. Nutritional treatments (such medicinal herbs) are sometimes better than chemical medicine and can be recommended for this purpose. In our study, we compared the effects of ethanolic extracts of three medicinal herbs (orange blossom, violet, and marjoram) and lorazepam on the level of anxiety related to sleep deprivation in mice. Fifty male mice were assigned to five groups, the control (C), lorazepam (L), orange blossom (OB), violet (V), and marjoram (M). Animals in each group were treated orally with these herbal extracts, Lorazepam, or water for 10 days. The sleep deprivation protocol was then performed for all groups using a water column set with platforms. Twenty-four hours after the start of the sleep deprivation protocol, the effects of the above agents on the anxiety level were compared using the elevated plus maze, light/dark box, and marble burying tests. In addition, the effects of these agents on the plasma cortisol level were analyzed. It was found that extracts of orange blossom and marjoram were more effective than the violet extract and lorazepam solution in reducing anxiety caused by sleep deprivation. Among the herbal extracts, the orange blossom extract was the most effective in this regard.