Abstract
BackgroundThe present study was designed to study anxiolytic property of methanolic extracts of Urtica urens; an important and commonly used for its medicinal properties belongs to urticaceae family.MethodsThe anxiolytic activity was evaluated with the adult mice by hole board test, and the light–dark box test, and motor coordination with the rota rod test. The efficacy of the plant extract (100–400 mg/kg) was compared with the standard anxiolytic drug diazepam (1 mg/kg i.p.)ResultsThe extract increased the time spent in the brightly-lit chamber of the light/dark box, as well as in the number of times the animal crossed from one compartment to the other. Performance on the rota rod was unaffected. In the hole board test, the extract significantly increased both head-dip counts and head-dip duration. Urtica urens, in contrast to diazepam, had no effect on locomotion.ConclusionsThese results provides support for anxiolytic activity of Urtica urens, in line with its medicinal traditional use, and may also suggest a better side-effect profile of Urtica urens relative to diazepam.
Highlights
Being anxious throughout life has implications not just for subjective wellbeing, and for physical health and longevity [1]
In the current work we examined the anxiolytic effects of methanolic extract of Urtica urens, using the light/ dark test and the hole board, and to examine motor coordination we used Rota rod test
Our results showed that methanolic extract (200 mg/kg) of urtica urens increased the head dipping corroborating the anxiolytic-like effect previously shown in the light- dark test
Summary
Being anxious throughout life has implications not just for subjective wellbeing, and for physical health and longevity [1]. Anxiety is an unpleasant state of inner turmoil, often accompanied by nervous behavior, somatic complaints and rumination [2], when anxiety becomes excessive, it may be considered as an anxiety disorder, and can critically decrease the quality of life inducing several psychosomatic diseases This class of disorders, which includes Agoraphobia, Specific Phobia, Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia), Panic Attack, Separation Anxiety Disorder, and Selective Mutism [3], Anxiety is defined as “a state of intense apprehension, uncertainty, and fear resulting from the anticipation of a threatening event or situation, often to a degree that normal physical and psychological functioning is disrupted” [4], The American Psychiatric Association (APA) purports that each of the Anxiety Disorders share. The present study was designed to study anxiolytic property of methanolic extracts of Urtica urens; an important and commonly used for its medicinal properties belongs to urticaceae family
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