DOI: 10.36347/sajb.2013.v01i06.010

Pages: 283-289

Anxiety disorders are considered as one of the most prevalent psychiatric syndromes. They are associated with substantial impairments in both productive and social roles. Several clinical problems are associated with the anxiolytics being prescribed and therefore herbal medicines are being considered as an alternative to the complementary medicine. In the present study methanolic extract of Centella asiatica at the dose of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg, (p.o) in male Sprague-Dawley rats was studied for its anxiolytic property in widely accepted animals models viz. open field, elevated plus maze and hole board. The open field test marked increase in rearing, assisted rearing and number of square crossed and time spent in the center of arena. In the hole board test, enhanced time of head dipping and number of head dip in the treated animals was observed as compared to control. Similarly in elevated plus maze test, a marked increase in the number of entries and the time spent in open arms was noticed as compared to closed arms. Thus the results obtained indicate that Centella asiatica imparts potent anxiolytic activity.