A Study Of The Anxiolytic-Like Activity Of Dillenia Indica LINN. Leaves In Experimental Models Of Anxiety In Mice

:The purpose of this study was to characterize the putative anxiolytic-like activity of hydroethanolic extract prepared from the leaves of Dillenia indica . Materials and methods :Hydroethanolic extracts of Dillenia indica leaves at 50 ,100 and 200 mg/kg (p.o.) was adminsterd to study anxiolytic effect . Different models of anxiolytic activity viz. hole board , open field , elevated-plus maze and light/dark exploration models were used . Diazepam (2 mg/kg i.p.) was used as the standard drug . Observations : In the hole-board model , there was dose-dependent ( at 100 and 200 mg/kg) and significant (p<.05) increase in the number of headpokes and the time of head dipping in treated groups in comparison to vehicle . In open-field test , the number of rearing and squares traversed increased significantly (p<.05) at doses 100 and 200 mg/kg . In the elevated –plus maze , there was significant increase (p<.05) in time spent and number of entries into the openarms at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg . In light-dark exploration test the extract at100 mg/kg and those at 200 mg/kg also showed significant activity (p<.05). Conclusion : Hydroethanolic extract of Dillenia indica leaves shows prominent anxiolytic activity in mice .