Gestational
depression is detrimental to the
health of the
mother and the offspring and contributes to the appearance of depressive and
anxiety symptoms during the postnatal period. Traditional
antidepressants have undesirable side effects when utilised during
gestation, but
Hypericum perforatum has been characterised as an efficient and safe
antidepressant that prevents the
recurrence of symptoms. This study verified the effects of
Hypericum perforatum on the behaviour of
Wistar rats that were treated during
gestation and evaluated 10 and 60 days post-
treatment. Pregnant
Wistar rats were divided into four groups of ten
animals each one
control group that received
distilled water and three
treatment groups that were treated orally with 36, 72 or 144 mg/kg
Hypericum perforatum extract.
At 10 and 60 days after
parturition and post-
treatment, the
rats were submitted to the holeboard, the
tail suspension, and the forced swim tests. The
animals treated with 144 mg/kg
Hypericum perforatum exhibited greater
head-dipping activity in the hole-
board test and reduced immobility in the
tail suspension and forced swim tests, suggesting less
anxiety and
depression 10 and 60 days post-
treatment.The results indicated that treating
rats with
Hypericum perforatum during the gestational period decreased depressive behaviour and
anxiety 10 and 60 days post-
treatment.