Anxiolytic and antidepressant effects of matricaria chamomilla hydroalcoholic extract in a rat model of scopolamine

Abstract

In the present study, we investigated the effects of the Matricaria chamomilla (chamomile) hydroalcoholic extract on anxiety and depression using a scopolamine rat model. Behavioural procedures for anxiety and depression were assessed in rats using elevated plus maze and forced swimming tests. The chamomile extract (25 and 75 mg/kg b.w.) was given intraperitoneally once daily for 21 days, and scopolamine (0.7 mg/kg b.w.) was injected 30 minutes before the behavioural tests to induce anxiety and depression. The extract efficacy was matched by those elicited by diazepam (1.5 mg/kg b.w.) and tramadol (10 mg/kg b.w.) for anxiolytic and antidepressant studies. Our results demonstrated that the extract abolishes scopolamine-induced increasing of anxiety and depressive-like responses and exhibited therapeutic benefits for the management of psychological ailments.