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Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Article

Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Year: 2018, Volume: 17, Issue: 3, Pages: 1-7

Original Article

Evaluation of Anti-anxiety Activity of Passiflora Incarnata F ruit in Experimental Animal Models

Abstract

Objectives: Anxiety disorders are the most widespread mental health issues worldwide. Anxiety symptoms are prevalent in society, affecting not only the youth but also the elderly. While normal anxiety aids in dealing with challenges, excessive anxiety can be detrimental. This study aimed to assess the anxiolytic effects of aqueous Passiflora incarnata fruit extract in animal models. Methods: Phytochemical screening of Passiflora incarnata was conducted. The effects of Passiflora incarnata on reducing anxiety were examined using various well-established animal models, including the elevated plus maze, staircase, hole board, and light/dark model. Each group consisted of six animals and different doses of Passiflora incarnata (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg) were administered. Distilled water served as the control group, and diazepam (2 mg/kg) was used as the standard reference. Findings: Preliminary phytochemical screening revealed the presence of flavonoids, alkaloids and tannin and carbohydrates, proteins, steroids and terpenoids were found to be absent. These findings led to the conclusion that the medium (200 mg/kg) and high (400 mg/kg) doses exhibited notable anti-anxiety activity in comparison to the control group. Conversely, the low dose did not show any significant anxiolytic activity when compared to the control group. Novelty: Passiflora incarnata has the potential to serve as a natural psychotherapeutic agent for treating different anxiety-related disorders compared to existing therapies. This study shows encouraging results for the application of herbs in therapies for mental disorders, such as depression, anxiety, and insomnia.

Keywords: Passiflora incarnata, Phytochemical screening, Anti­anxiety

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Copyright

© 2018 Published by Krupanidhi College of Pharmacy. This is an open-access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

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