NEUROPHARMACOLOGICAL SCREENING OF ANTI-DEPRESSANT AND ANTI-STRESS ACTIVITY OF TERMINALIA CORIACEA (ROXB.) WIGHT AND ARN. LEAVES EXTRACT

Objective: The current study was designed to explore Neuropharmacological screening of antidepressant and antistress activity of leaves extract Terminalia Coriacea in albino wistar rat. Materials and Methods: Behavioral procedures of depression and Stress were assessed in rats. A methanolic extract of T. coriacea leaves with dose ranges of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg was given once a daily for 7 days via oral route and the efficacy was matched by those elicited by lorazepam (1 mg/kg, p.o.), imipramine (10 mg/kg, p.o.) and Withania somnifera (100 mg/kg, p.o.) for antidepressant, and antistress studies, respectively. Standard drugs were given 1 time, 30 min preceding the behavioral trials. Results: One-way analysis of variance followed by Newman – Keuls multiple comparison test was employed to analyze the results. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant as compared to control. TC at 400 mg/kg also induced an antidepressant activity similar to imipramine, in the behavioral despair, learned helplessness test, and tail suspension among selected doses of the TC. Moreover, TC at 400 mg/kg produced a significant antistress effect comparable to Withania. somnifera in water immersion-restraint stress by decreasing ulcer index, adrenal gland weight, and by normalizing the plasma levels of corticosterone, glucose, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels when related to stress control. Conclusion: The study shows that among the different TC doses, TC at 400mg/kg possesses significant antidepressant and anti-stress effects has therapeutic beneficial for the management of psychological ailments. Keywords: Antidepressant, Antistress, Terminalia Coriacea, Ulcer index, Withania somnifera