Effects of Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and Black tea (Camellia sinensis) herbal infusions on anxiety behavior in male rats

Background and Aims: Anxiety is a natural reaction that affects both the mind and body, often accompanied by symptoms, such as sweating, palpitations, and headaches.The present study aimed to compare the anxiolytic effects of herbal teas made from lavender and black tea. Materials and Methods:In this experimental study, 21 male rats weighing 200-250 grams were used.The rats were assigned to three groups (n=7): the control group received plain drinking water, the Camellia sinensis (CS) group received Camellia sinensis (black tea) herbal tea, and the Lavandula angustifolia (LA) group received Lavandula angustifolia (lavender) herbal tea.During the 24 hours before the experiment, the rats in the treatment groups were given herbal teas made from black tea at a concentration of 0.3% (3 grams of leaves in 1 liter of water) and lavender flowers at the same concentration instead of drinking water.Following that, the behavior of rats was assessed for sedative and anxiolytic activities in the Elevated plus maze (EPM).Data were presented as meanstandard error (mean S.E.M).Data were analyzed in Graph Pad Prism software (version 8) using one-way ANOVA followed by the Tukey test.A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results:The time spent in the open arms of the EPM in the LA group significantly increased compared to the control (P<0.001) and CS treatment groups (P<0.001).The LA group also had more entries into the open arms than the CS group (P<0.01).Time spent in the closed arms was significantly reduced in the LA group compared to the control (P<0.05) and CS groups (P<0.001). Conclusion:As evidenced by the obtained results, Lavandula angustifolia tea demonstrated significant anti-anxiety effects in male rats, suggesting its potential as a natural remedy for anxiety.Further research is needed to confirm these findings in humans.