Abstract:Background: Anxiety is a universal human emotion, closely allied with fear, presumably serving psycho-biologically adaptive purposes. Drugs are available in modern medicine to treat anxiety disorders, Diazepam being drug of choice but it produces various systemic side effects or exhibit tolerance upon chronic use. In Ayurveda, many plant products have been claimed to be free from side effects and less toxic than synthetic drugs, one of them is
Garcinia indica which was evaluated for its anxiolytic activity.
Methodology: Wistar albino rats of either sex (150-250g) were divided into four groups with eight rats in each group. Different groups were given distilled water (0.5ml p.o.), Diazepam (1mg/kg p.o.),
Garcinia indica (1.75gm/kg p.o.) and
Garcinia indica (3.5gm/kg p.o.) respectively. Effect of test drugs on anxiety was evaluated using elevated plus maze test. Parameters such as number of entries in open arm, time spent in open arm were assessed. Results (mean
standard deviation) were analysed using one-way ANOVA test followed by Tukey’s test.
Result: Statistically significant increase (p<0.05) in time spent in open arm was seen in Garcinia indica (3.5gm/kg) and Diazepam groups compared to control group; Diazepam and Garcinia indica (3.5gm/kg) groups showed comparable effect. Number of open arm entries was significantly increased (p<0.05) in Garcinia indica (both doses) and Diazepam groups as compared to control group. Diazepam did not show any significant difference (p>0.05) when compared to both doses of Garcinia indica.
Conclusion: Garcinia indica (3.5gm/kg) have more significant anxiolytic activity showing comparable effects with Diazepam.