Antidepressant and Anxiolytic Effects and Subacute Toxicity of the Aerial Parts of Psychotria ankasensis J.B.Hall (Rubiaceae) in Murine Models

Francis Ackah Armah; Isaac Tabiri Henneh; Isaac Kingsley Amponsah; Robert Peter Biney; Fynn Malcolm; John Alake; Wisdom Ahlidja; Mustapha Abubakar Ahmed; Christian Kweku Adokoh; Genevieve Etornam Adukpo; Desmond Omane Acheampong; Peter K Gathumbi

doi:10.1155/2021/5543320

Antidepressant and Anxiolytic Effects and Subacute Toxicity of the Aerial Parts of Psychotria ankasensis J.B.Hall (Rubiaceae) in Murine Models

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2021 May 18:2021:5543320. doi: 10.1155/2021/5543320. eCollection 2021.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Allied Health Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
² School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
³ Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana.
⁴ Department of Chemistry, School of Physical Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
⁵ Department of Forensic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
⁶ Department of Veterinary Pathology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya.

Abstract

Background: The present study aimed at validating the traditional use and toxicity profile of a methanolic extract of the aerial parts of Psychotria ankasensis in alleviating depression and anxiety disorders.

Method: The antidepressant effect of methanolic extract of Psychotria ankasensis (PAE 30, 100, and 300 mg/kg, p.o.) was assessed in mice using the forced swim test (FST) and the tail suspension test (TST). The plant's anxiolytic potential was also evaluated in mice using the elevated plus-maze (EPM) and the open field tests (OFT). The subacute toxicity was assessed via oral administration of PAE at doses of 100, 300, and 1000 mg/kg in rats for 28 days.

Results: PAE 100 and 300 mg/kg showed antidepressant-like properties by significantly (at least p < 0.05) decreasing the frequency and duration of immobility in FST and TST. PAE (100 and 300 mg/kg) also showed a significant (at least p < 0.05) anxiolytic effect in both EPM and OFT. In the EPM test, E _max for PAE and diazepam were 92.52 ± 40.11% and 85.95 ± 45.92%, respectively, whereas E _max was approximately 100% for both test drugs in the OFT. Subacute administration of PAE did not reveal any toxic effects with respect to organ weight index, haematological, serum biochemical, and histopathological parameters.

Conclusions: Methanolic extract of P. ankasensis exhibited antidepressant-like and anxiolytic-like effects devoid of significant toxicity at the doses tested in murine models.