Abstract

COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF Tabernaemontana divaricata LEAVES EXTRACTS FOR ANTIDEPRESSANT ACTIVITY

Priyanka P. Tadkase, Prof. Dr. Nitin B. Ghiware, Haidarali Shaikh, Vidhya V. Mali, Ashwini V. Gowande

Abstract

Depression is considered as an affective disorder characterized primarily by change of mood. The study is aimed to comparative evaluation of Tabernaemontana divaricata leaves ethyl acetate (TDEA) and methanol (TDME) extracts for antidepressant activity by using wistar rats. The plant Tabernaemontana divaricata belonging to family Apocynaceae is used to treat various diseases like diarrhea, athralgia, asthma, epilepsy, aphrodisiac, leprosy, paralysis, piles etc. It is also traditionally claimed as antihypertensive, anthelmintic, hair growth promoter, tonic to the brain, liver, spleen etc. In the present study Despair swim test is used as model to induce depression in wistar rats. The TDEA at doses (100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg) and TDME at dose (100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg) show significant decrease in immobility time in sec on day 15 as compared to day 1 and 8. Methanol extract (200 mg/kg) on day 15 shows equivalent activity compared to standard Imipramine (25 mg/kg). The present study reveals that Tabernaemontana divaricata leaves have potential to reduce depression and it could be readily available source of treatment at low cost.

Keywords: Tabernaemontana divaricata, Ethyl acetate extract, Methanol extract, Antidepressant activity.