Preventive Effects of Ginger Extract and Nigella sativa Oil on Anxiety and Depression Behavior in Wistar Rats Exposed to Mercuric Chloride

Abstract

Healthy male Wistar albino rats weighing 280±15g, obtained from the Pasteur Institute of Algiers, housed in standard polypropylene cages and maintained at an ambient temperature of 23 ± 2°C, a hygrometry of 45-55% and a natural photoperiod. The animals were divided at random into five groups of five animals each, the first group (T), control group, receives no treatment, the second group (M) receives distilled water (1ml/kg/day) for one week (D01-D07) and mercuric chloride (4mg/kg/day) for three weeks (D08-D28), the third group (G+M) receives ginger extract (500mg/kg/day) for four weeks (D1-D28) and mercuric chloride (4mg/kg/day) for three weeks (D08-D28) the fourth group (N+M) received Nigella sativa oil (2ml/kg/day) for four weeks (D1-D28) and mercuric chloride (4mg/kg/day) for three weeks (D08-D28) the fifth group (G+N+M) received a ginger extract (500mg/kg/day) and Nigella sativa oil (2ml/kg/day) during the whole experiment (D1-D28) and mercuric chloride (4mg/kg/day) for three weeks (D08-D28).All these treatments were administered by gastric gavage.