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.