EVALUATION OF ANTIDEPRESSANT ACTIVITY OF ALOCASIA MACRORRHIZOS ON MICE

The increased prevalence of depression at 12.3% rate and side effect profile of the existing antidepressants led to the present study which was designed to establish the role of natural herbal medicine Alocasia macrorrhizos as an antidepressant and to extend these results before the safe application in humans. 48 Albino male mice were divided into 2 sets each consisting of 4 groups with 6 animals in each group. Group1and 2 served as control and standard where as group3 and 4 were treated with hydroalcoholic extract of Alocasia macrorrhizos at the dose of 250mg/kg and 500mg/kg respectively. Drugs were suspended in 1% gumacasia and administered to mice orally one hour before test procedure. Forced swim test and tail suspension tests were standard animal models used for assessing antidepressant activity by recording the immobility time. Results from the study showed that hydroalcoholic extract of Alocasia macrorrhizos had significantly reduced immobility duration at the dose of 250mg/kg and 500mg/kg where it has shown better result than control group when subjected to the test procedures. Significant difference in immobility duration were noticed when these groups were compared to standard imipramine and there was a definite antidepressant effect observed with AM 500mg/kg whereas AM 250mg/kg values were comparable to imipramine. Hence we have concluded from the results of the study that hydroalcoholic extract of leaves of Alocasia macrorrhizos has the definite antidepressant effect which is comparable to Imipramine at 250mg/kg dose