Abstract

ANTIDEPRESSANT AND ANXIOLYTIC EFFECTS OF ALCOHOLIC EXTRACT FROM TEPHROSIA PUMILA (L.) PERS

Ch. Hari Prasad Murthy*, Sunil Junapudi, P. Siddartha Kumar and Gaju Rajkumar

Abstract

Tephrosia pumila (L.) Pers (Leguminosae (Fabaceae)), is an herbaceous climber that has been generally utilized in Indian traditional medicine for the treatment of different central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Nevertheless, the available scientific information about this species is rare and there are no reports identified with its conceivable impact on the CNS. In this work, the effects of ethanolic extract of Tephrosia pumila (L.) Pers (TPP) were assessed in rats utilizing behavioral tests sensitive to clinically effective antidepressant and anxiolytic effects compounds. The extract (200 and 400mg/kg), administered intraperitoneally, was able to decrease the immobility time of rats dose‐dependently when subjected to both tail suspension and forced swim tests for antidepressant activity and elevated Pluse maze test, actophotometer test for anxiolytic effect and the effects are comparable to that of standard drugs i.e., Diazepam (20mg/kg). Neither the extracts of TPP and Diazepam, at the doses tested, produced significant effects on locomotor activity when subjected to open field behavioral test. These results demonstrated that TPP had specifically antidepressant effects in vivo. In conclusion, the present study recommended that TPP extracts possessed potential antidepressant and anxiolytic effects which could be of therapeutic interest for using in the treatment of patients with depressive disorders.

Keywords: Tephrosia pumila (L.) Pers, Antidepressant activity, Anxiolytic effect, tail suspension test, forced swim test, elevated Pluse maze test, actophotometer test.