Anxiolytic activity of Toxicodendron succedaneum (L) Kuntze leaves aqueous and alcoholic extracts

There are extremely old traditions and records of popular healing practices that have retained their value in the face of new advances and progress in the fields of Pharmacy and Medicine. Indeed, interest in herbal medicines is growing. Even when synthetic chemistry has advanced beyond expectations, the role of natural products in the production of medications used in modern medicine is unparalleled. Toxicodendron succedaneum (L.) Kuntze (synonym: Rhus succedanea L.) belongs to the family of Anacardiaceae is a deciduous tree widely distributed in South and Southeast Asia. The resin of T. succedaneum is used in decorating traditional handicrafts, and resinous latex is poisonous. The plant yields a commercially important wax and treats asthma, cough, fever, ear infections, pulmonary infections, diarrhoea, dysentery, nose bleeding, and liver disorders. The available literature on T. succedaneum suggests insufficient data on pharmacological studies in experimental animals. Much research needs to be done to confirm its folk medicinal uses for developing phytopharmaceutical drugs.