Anti-Anxiety Effects of Artemisia persica in Male Rats

Background and objective: Anxiety is one of the most common diseases in human societies. Since Artemisia persica has a significant antioxidant capacity with phenolic compounds, and thesesubstances have anti-anxiety effect, the purpose of this research was to determine theAnti-anxiety like effects of Iranian Artemisia persica extract in male rats. Methods: Artemisia persica hydroalcoholic extract was prepared by maceration method.  Animals were divided into 5 experimental groups. The first group was injected with normal saline. Groups 2 to 4 were injected with Artemisia persica extract at doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg. The fifth group received 2.1 mg/kg of diazepam. The ability to maintain balance of the rates was measured using the rotarod device, anxiety was measured with elevated plus maze, and the motor activity was measured by the open field device. Antioxidant capacity and malondialdehyde levels were also measured in brain and serum tissues. Results: Intraperitoneal injection of doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg of the extract increased the number of entering and presence time in the open arm of the plus maze. Doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg of the extract showed significant increase in antioxidant capacity and significant reduction in malondialdehyde levels. In these experiments, the dose of 400 mg/kg showed less effect and in somecases reversed the effects. Conclusion: it seems that the anti-anxiety effect of Artemisia persica is dose dependent and increases by increasing the dose to 200 mg/kg; however, at higher dose (400 mg/kg) it shows pro-oxidant effects.