Abstract

THE EFFECT OF NIGELLA SATVIA AQUEOUS EXTRACT ON THE ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION IN MICE

Bouchra Meddah*, Latifa Doudach, Badr Adouani, Y. Cherrah, Abbes Faouzi

Mohammed V Souissi University, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Laboratory of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Pharmacokinetic Research Team, Rabat, Morocco.

Abstract

In this study we investigated the effect of Nigella sativa (NS) seeds by two behavioral tests intended to determine their anxiety and depression in rodents. The pharmacological test used for studying the anxiolytic effect was the light/dark exploration model while the depression was measured with Forced test swimming (FTS). The aqueous extract of NS, administered orally in mice at 1, 10, 100 and 500 mg/kg did not affect spontaneous motor activity in the forced swimming test, the extract (at 1 and 2 mg/kg) possesses a significant anti-anxiolytic activity by increase the transition number and the time spent by mice in the illuminated side of the light–dark test. These preliminary results on the potential antipsychotic NS can be confirmed by other neuropsychopharmacology tests.

Keywords: Nigella sativa; anxiolytic effect; depression; Forced test swimming; light/dark exploration.