Anti-stress activity of hydro-alcoholic extract of Eugenia caryophyllus buds (clove)

OBJECTIVE The present study was undertaken to evaluate the anti-stress effect of the hydro-alcoholic extract of clove. METHODOLOGY The anti-stress effect was evaluated on cold restraint induced gastric ulcers, sound stress induced biochemical changes and anoxic stress induced convulsions. Clove extract was administered orally at two different doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg. Zeetress, a known anti-stress formulation (14 mg/kg p.o) was used as the standard drug. RESULTS Both the doses of clove extract showed good anti-stress effect in all the tested models. The clove extract reduced the development of cold restraint induced gastric ulcers and prevented the biochemical changes induced by sound stress such as increase in plasma levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, glucose, cholesterol and corticosterone. Clove extract was also effective in increasing the latency of anoxic stress induced convulsions in mice. CONCLUSION The hydro-alcoholic extract of clove at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg orally possesses good anti-stress activity.