ABSTRACT
Background: Cinnamon is one of the best known spices used as an herbal medicine. Cinnamaldehyde (CNM) the volatile oil, which was present in the essential oil of the bark, is the important constituents of cinnamon. Cinnamon has been investigated for its various effects like peptic ulcer protection, antioxidant property, inhibition of tau aggregation, anti-inflammatory activity, effect on cardiovascular system, anti-nociceptive activity, hepato-protective effects, hypolipidemic and antidiabetic activites. The present study was aimed to evaluate the anxiolytic effect of CNM per se and its interaction with diazepam in swiss albino mice.Methods: Anxiolytic activity was evaluated by elevated plus maze method. A group of 36 healthy mice of either sex weighing 20-30 grams were divided at random into six groups (n=6). CNM and diazepam were dissolved in tween twenty 20% to maintain uniformity of the solvent and given orally. Group I was given twenty 20% (10 ml/kg, p.o.), group II diazepam (0.5 mg/kg, p.o.), group III diazepam (1 mg/kg, p.o.), group IV cinnamaldehyde (100 mg/kg, p.o.), group V cinnamaldehyde (200 mg/kg, p.o.), group VI cinnamaldehyde and diazepam (100 mg/kg and 0.5 mg/kg, p.o.).Results: Cinnamaldehyde per se showed no anxiolytic effect at any dose (p<0.05). The standard drug diazepam has shown significant anxiolytic activity on elevated plus maze. Whereas combination of diazepam 0.5 mg/kg and cinnamaldehyde 100 mg/kg showed significant increase in the time spent in open arms as compared to all groups (p<0.05).Conclusions: CNM per se did not show any effect on anxiety but enhanced the action of diazepam when co-administered.
ABSTRACT
Background: Depression is a worldwide illness in the current population. Low levels of L-methylfolate are linked to depression. Present study evaluates the anti-depressive activity of acute and chronic administration of L-methylfolate per se in forced swimming test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST) and its interaction with escitalopram in albino mice.Methods: For this 30 swiss albino mice were divided randomly into five groups (n=6) as group I (control,10ml/Kg, p.o) - 2% suspension of gum acacia, group II - escitalopram suspension (10mg/kg, p.o), group III- L-methylfolate suspension (3mg/kg, p.o), group IV- L-methylfolate (3mg/kg, p.o) plus escitalopram (5mg/kg, p.o), group V- L-methylfolate(3mg/kg, p.o) plus escitalopram(10mg/kg, p.o), for forced swimming test. In tail suspension test again, mice were divided in five groups as above except that the dose of L-methylfolate was reduced to 1.25mg/kg. The pharmacologically validated models forced swimming test and tail suspension test were performed in mice to evaluate acute and chronic antidepressant activity of L-methylfolate and its combination with escitalopram respectively, after performing an acute toxicity study.Results: L-methylfolate and L-methylfolate plus escitalopram (10mg/Kg and 5mg/Kg, p.o) showed acute and chronic antidepressant activity in albino mice in FST and TST respectively. In human L-methylfolate is only active form of folic acid that readily crosses the blood brain barrier and utilized by the CNS. It regulates the bioavailability of critical cofactor BH4, required by enzymes synthesizing monoamines whose deficiency leads to depression.Conclusions: Hence, this study suggests antidepresant activity of L-methylfolate per se and as adjuvant with escitalopram when initiated from initiation of antidepressant therapy. Also, L-methylfolate opens the possibility of reducing the dose of antidepressant when used as adjuvant.