Phytochemical analytical and antidepressant activity screening of flowers of spathodea campanulata

The antidepressant activity of Spathodea campanulata flowers was evaluated in mice and in silico. When 33 tested at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg, the methanol extract of S. campanulata (MESC) showed dose dependent antidepressant activity in the force swim test (FST), tail suspension test (TST), lithium induced head twitches test, Haloperidol Induced Catalepsy and the open field test. In FST and TST, animals treated with MESC demonstrated a significant decrease in the immobility period compared to the control group. These data suggest that S. campanulata flowers warrants further investigation as a source of novel templates for antidepressive drugs.