EVALUATION OF ANXIOLYTIC AND CNS DEPRESSANT ACTIVITY OF ALANGIUM SALVIIFOLIUM WANG FLOWERS

The present study was designed to investigate in vivo anxiolytic and CNS depressant activities of the methanol extract and its chloroform soluble fraction of flowers of Alangium salviifolium. Anxiolytic activity was assayed by elevated plus maze (EPM) test where the extract and fraction showed moderate activity in a dose dependent manner. CNS depressant activity was evaluated by using open field and hole cross tests at doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg body weight (methanol extract) and 100 mg/kg body weight of chloroform fraction orally. Locomotor activity and exploratory behavior of rats in hole cross and open field test were decreased in the test group comparing the control group indicating CNS depressant effect of the extract and fraction which was comparable with the standard drug diazepam. The results of the statistical analysis showed that the plant extract had significant (*p<0.05, **p<0.01) dose dependent anxiolytic and CNS depressant activities. So, the present results suggest that the methanol extract and chloroform fraction of A. salviifolium flowers possesses moderate anxiolytic and CNS depressant activities and it is the first report of Alangium salviifolium wang flower.