Phoradendron bathyoryctum Eichler (Santalaceae) is a parasitic plant empirically used in Paraguayan popular medicine, alleging useful tonic activity on cardiovascular and the central nervous system. The aim of this study was to assess the behavioral profile of mice introduced to elevated plus-maze (EPM) and forced swimming test (FST) under oral administration of hydroethanolic extract obtained from the whole plant of P. bathyoryctum Eichler (CEPb) as a validation procedure of its popular neurological use. Two experimental series of five different groups (n = 6) of Swiss albino male mice submitted to EPM and FST, respectively, were used to evaluated antianxiety and antidepressant activity of CEPb. The open arm behavioral performance of mice subjected to the EPM was significantly augmented by oral treatment with 10 and 100 mg/kg of CEPb and 0.5 mg/kg of Diazepam (p < 0.0001) when compared to the control group. Moreover, oral doses of CEPb (1 mg/kg, p < 0.0001, and 10 mg/kg, p < 0.0001) and Clomipramine 32.0 mg/kg (p < 0.0001) produced a marked decrease in the time of motionlessness behavior of the animals subjected to the FST when compared with the solvent-treated group. Based on results, it is concluded that CEPb is, respectively, effective in experimentally induced anxiety and depression in mice exposed to EPM and FST.
Key words: Phoradendron bathyoryctum; elevated plus-maze; forced swimming; anxiolytic; antidepressant
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