Evaluation of anxiolytic and anticonvulsant potential of Mirabilis jalapa ethanolic extracts on standardized rat models

Abstract

Anxiety and Convulsion are the most prominent, crippled and cruel neurological diseases in recent times. There are many indigenous plants have beneficial properties to treat mental disease and psychic complaints. Evaluation of anxiolytic and anticonvulsant activity of leaf and root ethanolic extracts of mirabilis jalapa in rat models were carried out using standardized experimental methods. The dried leaves and root was macerated with ethanol separately and administered the discern dose of 200 mg/k g p.o. and 400mg/kg p.o. from each extract and employed in Elevated Plus Maze test (EPM) and Open field test (OFT) with 2mg/kg i.p of Diazepam as a standard drug to assess the anxiolytic activity. Maximal electroshock induced convulsion (MES) (Phenytoin-20mg/kg i.p as a standard drug) and Pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) induced seizures analyzed where Diazepam (5mg/kg) i.p as a standard drug to assess the anticonvulsant activity. Substantial changes in all tested activities EPM, OFT in anxiety model and MES, PTZ in anticonvulsant model were observed. The results revealed that ethanol leaf extract (400 mg/kg p.o.) was more impetus due to the high amount of flavonoid, phenolic compounds, steroids, terpenoid contents possess tremendous anti-anxiety whereas the ethanol root extract (400 mg/kg p.o.) and ethanol leaf extract (400 mg/kg p.o.) produce significant anticonvulsant potential effect compared to the control and standard drug treatment group. This study suggested that the plant M. jalapa is a much more active compound consistent medicinal plant to derive a potent drug against anxiety and convulsion.