English

Abstract

Anxiety is present in several psychiatric disorders, and pharmacological treatment has limitations. Therefore, there is a search for new therapeutic approaches. This study aimed to evaluate the anxiolytic effect of acute administration of the dry extract of Passiflora alata (P. alata) leaves in male Wistar rats submitted to swimming. The animals were randomly divided into four groups (n = 8) (G1 to G4). G2 to G4 were submitted to swimming for 15 min, and 23 h later, all groups were treated via gavage: G1 (control); G2, treated with 0.9% saline solution; and G3 and G4, treated with 22 mg/kg and 66mg/kg of P. alata extract, respectively. After 1 h of administration, G2-G4 were again submitted to swimming for 5 min. All groups were submitted to the Elevated Plus Maze (EPM). The results showed that all animals submitted to swimming (G2-G4) remained less time in the open arms when compared to the control group (G1). The results demonstrate that the swimming model was adequate to induce anxiety in the animals. However, no significant differences were observed between the groups in the times of movement and immobility (in the swimming model) and the length of time in the open arms in the EPM model, indicating that in the model and doses used, P. alata extract had no anxiolytic effect. Key words: Passiflora alata extract, anxiety, swimming, wistar rats, elevated pluz maze.