Evaluation of antianxiety and antidepressant activity of aqueous extract of Cynodon dactylon (Doob grass) in Swiss albino mice

Abstract

Objective: Anxiety and depression are common psychiatric conditions that cause changes in the lifestyle of humans
and impose huge costs for the treatment to the patients. The present study was carried out to find antianxiety and
antidepressant activity of aqueous extract of Cynodon dactylon (AECD) in mice. Methods: AECD was prepared
by maceration method. The yield was 5% w/w. The AECD was screened for antianxiety activity by elevated plus
maze (EPM) and light and dark box and for antidepressant activity by forced swim test (FST) and tail suspension
test (TST) in mice. For each model, animals were divided in four groups of six animals. Group I served as
control and received gum acacia aqueous suspension 10 ml/kg. Groups II and III served as test group and received
AECD 200 and 400 mg/kg, respectively. Group IV served as standard group and received diazepam 1 mg/kg for
antianxiety activity and fluoxetine (20 mg/kg) for antidepressant activity. All drugs were administered by gavage.
Results: AECD 200 and 400 mg/kg showed significant (P < 0.01) dose-dependent increase in entries and stay
in open arms in EPM and entries and stay in light compartment in light and dark box as compared to control. In
both models effect of AECD at dose of 400 mg/kg was comparable with that of diazepam. AECD also produced
significant (P < 0.01) antidepressant effect at all the doses, as indicated by reduction in immobility time as compared
to control in both FST and TST. The efficacy of AECD at dose of 400 mg/kg was comparable (P > 0.05) with
that of fluoxetine in both the models. Conclusion: Results of our study su