Antidepressant Effects of Imipramine and Ashwagandha: A Quasi Experimental Study

Objective: Tocompares the antidepressant properties of Imipramine and Ashwagandha (Withaniasomnifera) Study Design and Setting: Experimental Observational Study. Animal House of Agriculture University, Tando Jam, collaborated with the Department ofPharmacology and Therapeutics LUMHS Jamshoro Methodology: Three groups of rats were used: Group A received normal saline (0.9% NaCl); Group B received 32 mg/kg of imipramine; and Group C received 100 mg/kg of Ashwagandha. To evaluate the antidepressant efficacy of the medications, Forced Swimming Test (FST) and the Tail Suspension Test (TST) were used. In the TST, the duration of immobility was recorded as an indicator of behavioral despair, while in the FST, the duration of immobility, climbing and swimming time were measured to evaluate the antidepressant effects. Data was analyzed by using SPSS v26. P-value <0.05 was considered significant. Results: TST Test Results: Immobility duration was 201± 1.3 in the Ashwagandha Group (GroupB)and 198± 1.1 in the imipramine group (Group C), compared to 225 ± 1.8 in the Control group (Group A). FST Test Results: Immobility duration was 96 ± 1 in Group B and 102 ± 1 in Group C, compared to 206.2 ± 0.8 in Group A. The climbing times were 92 ± 0.2 and 90 ± 0.8 (Group C) vs 62.8 ± 0.9 (Group A). The swimming times were 172 ± 1.3 (Group B) and 168 ± 1 (Group C) vs 91 ± 1 (Group A). Conclusion: Findings highlighted Ashwagandha as a promising natural alternative antidepressant agent, warranting further investigation into its mechanisms and clinical applications