Assessment of Anxiolytic and Antidepressant Effects of Crossopteryxfebrifuga in Mice

This study is based on the psychopharmacological properties of Crossopteryxfebrifuga that is aplant of the traditional pharmacopoeia in the Republic of Congo. The anxiolytic and antidepressant effects of the extracts were evaluated. Two methods were used for each test, respectively stress-induced hyperthermia and elevated cross labyrinth test, forced swimming test, and catalepsy test. The decoction of C. febrifugashowed a significant decrease in stress-induced hyperthermia (HIS) of 1.3 ? C to 0.6 ? C for treated animals. This decoction has carried away a significant increase of the entrances number and the timespent in the open arms of the labyrinth respectively, from 1.83 ? 0.55 for the control to 45.33 ? 3.33 for treated mouse and 41.5 ? 3.5 sec in the control at 195.83 ? 10.11 for treated mouse, as well as the percentage of entries into the open arms of the labyrinth. C. febrifuga, however, provoked a decrease of the entries number, the time spent and the percentage of labyrinth closed arms in the mice. Regarding the antidepressant activity, the decoction of C. febrifugaprovoked a significant increase of the climbs and swimming duration as well as a significant decrease of the immobility duration in both mice subjected to forced swimming and those subjected catalepsy test.