Study of anxiolytic effect of ethanolic extract of drumstick tree leaves on albino mice in a basic neuropharmacology laboratory of a postgraduate teaching institute

Objectives: Anxiety is a serious condition, leading to depression. The statistics of anxiety is alarming and needs an effective, low-cost remedy. Drumstick tree is known as Moringa oleifera belonging to the Moringaceae family. In previous studies, drumstick leaves revealed a storehouse of active ingredients possessing anxiolytic property. In this study, the anxiolytic effect of drumstick leaves was studied using elevated plus maze (EPM) and staircase models at four doses 50, 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg. Materials and Methods: It is a randomized control study. Albino mice were used in this study, a total of 72, divided into six groups, each group consisting of 6 mice. Group I: Control (normal saline orally at 2 ml/kg body weight); Group II: Standard (diazepam 10 mg/kg orally); Group III, IV, V, and VI (ethanolic extract of Moringa oleifera [EMO] 50, 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg, respectively). EMO leaves were administered at 50, 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg doses orally 1 h before the experiments and their effects observed. Results: In the EPM method, the time spent in open arm and closed arm before and after drug administration was analyzed by one-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni′s test. In the staircase test, the comparison of steps climbed and rears before and after drug administration were done by nonparametric tests, Kruskal-Wallis test followed by Mann-Whitney′s test. In both models, the extract showed a significant response at 200 and 400 mg/kg. Conclusion: Thus, EMO leaves exhibited anxiolytic activity in both models at higher doses.