Romanian Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences
 

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ANXIOLYTIC AND ANTIDEPRESSANT EFFECTS OF MATRICARIA CHAMOMILLA HYDROALCOHOLIC EXTRACT IN A RAT MODEL OF SCOPOLAMINE

RADU IONIȚĂ 1, PAULA ALEXANDRA POSTU 1, OANA CIOANCĂ 2*, CORNELIA MIRCEA 2, MONICA HĂNCIANU 2, LUCIAN HRIȚCU 1

1.Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Department of Biology, 11 Bd. Carol I, Iaşi, România
2.„Gr. T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Iaşi, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacognosy, Universității 16, Iaşi, România

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In the present study, we investigated the effects of the Matricaria chamomilla (chamomile) hydroalcoholic extract on anxiety and depression using a scopolamine rat model. Behavioural procedures for anxiety and depression were assessed in rats using elevated plus maze and forced swimming tests. The chamomile extract (25 and 75 mg/kg b.w.) was given intraperitoneally once daily for 21 days, and scopolamine (0.7 mg/kg b.w.) was injected 30 minutes before the behavioural tests to induce anxiety and depression. The extract efficacy was matched by those elicited by diazepam (1.5 mg/kg b.w.) and tramadol (10 mg/kg b.w.) for anxiolytic and antidepressant studies. Our results demonstrated that the extract abolishes scopolamine-induced increasing of anxiety and depressive-like responses and exhibited therapeutic benefits for the management of psychological ailments.