Acute Administration of Nigella sativa Showed Anxiolytic and Anti- Depression Effects in Rats

Title:Acute Administration of Nigella sativa Showed Anxiolytic and Anti- Depression Effects in Rats

Volume: 14 Issue: 5

Author(s): Farimah Beheshti, Fatemeh Norouzi, Azam Abareshi, Akbar Anaeigoudari and Mahmoud Hosseini*

Affiliation:

• Division of Neurocognitive Sciences, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad,Iran

Keywords: Anxiety, anxiolytic, central nervous system, depression, Nigella sativa, rats.

Abstract: Objective: Nigella sativa (NS) has been shown to have some effects on the central nervous system. In the present work, anxiolytic and anti- depression effects of an acute administration of hydro- alcoholic extract of NS was investigated in rats.

Materials and Methods: The rats were grouped and treated 30 min before conducting the behavioral tests: (1) saline as a control group, (2-4) three groups including NS 100, NS 200 and NS 400 treated by three doses (100, 200 and 400 mg/ kg) of NS. The animals were examined using Forced Swim Test (FST), Open-Field (OFT) and Elevated Plus Maze (EPM) tests.

Results: NS extract improved the time spent, crossing number and traveled distance in the central zone in OFT compared to the control group (p<0.01- p<0.001). The time spent in the peripheral area of OFT by all animals’ treated groups was lower than that of control group (p<0.01 and p<0.001). Compared to the control group, all three extract treated groups showed greater total crossing and total traveled distance in OFT (p<0.05-p<0.001). Compared to the control group, the animals treated by 200 and 400 mg/kg of NS spent longer times in the open arm of EPM (p<0.05 and p<0.001). All three doses of the extract shortened the closed arm entries compared to the control group (p<0.001). The animals of NS 200 and NS 400 groups spent lower times in the closed arm compared to the control group (p<0.01 and p<0.05). In FST, the immobility times in the NS 400 group were lower than control (p<0.05). All three doses of the plant extract increased the climbing times compared to the control group (p<0.01 - p<0.001).

Conclusion: The results of the present work demonstrated that acute administration of the hydroalcoholic extract of NS had anxiolytic and anti-depression effects in rats. More advanced examinations are needed for better comprehension of the responsible compound(s) and mechanism(s).

Cite this article as:

Beheshti Farimah , Norouzi Fatemeh , Abareshi Azam , Anaeigoudari Akbar and Hosseini Mahmoud *, Acute Administration of Nigella sativa Showed Anxiolytic and Anti- Depression Effects in Rats, Current Nutrition & Food Science 2018; 14 (5) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1573401313666170607155858