RESUMO
The objective of the present study was to evaluate the anxiolytic activity of the hydro-alcoholic extract of the leaves of Mukia maderaspatana. Anxiety is a condition which occurs when exposing animals to unfamiliar conditions and creating fear. More synthetic compounds are available in the market for treating the anxiety, but only few natural compounds are available as anti-anxiety drugs. Mukia maderaspatana which belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family is a tropical plant which has the anti-anxiety property. To prove this, the hydro-alcoholic extract of the leaves of Mukia maderaspatana was tested on experimental Wister albino rats by using an elevated plus maze test and by using mice in a socio-behavioral deficit test. The drug was given in an oral dose of 150 mg/kg. The result indicates that the hydro-alcoholic extract of Mukia maderaspatana exhibited a significant [p<0.05] increase in the entry as well as time spent on an open arm in the maze test and reduced the attempts made at escape by the mice in the deficit test when compared with the standard drug diazepam