Effect of ethanolic leaf extract of Ocimum sanctum on haloperidol-induced catalepsy in albino mice

Neuroleptic drugs used in the treatment of schizophrenia and other affective disorders are known to produce extrapyramidal side effects. Catalepsy induced by these drugs in Department of Pharmacology, Kasturba Medical College, animals has been used as a model for the extrapyramidal side effects associated with Mangalore 575 001, Karnataka, antipsychotic agents in human beings. In the present study, we have attempted to evaluate India the protective effect of the ethanolic leaf extractof Ocimum sanctum (OS) on haloperidol (1.0 mg/kg, intraperitoneal administratio )-induced catalepsy in mice by employing the Received: standard bar test. Mice were allocated to seven groups, each group containing six animals. 24.8.2006 Revised: The effects of the test drug OS (at 1.75, 4.25 and 8.5 mg/kg doses) and the standard drugs, 8.4.2007 Accepted: 11.4.2007 scopolamine (1.0 mg/kg) and ondansetron (0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg doses) were assessed after single and repeat dose administration for seven days, 30 minutes prior to the haloperidol. Correspondence to: The results suggest that OS has a protective effect against haloperidol-induced catalepsy, Pemminati Sudhakar E-mail: [email protected] which is comparable to the standard drugs used for the same purpose. Our study indicates that OS could be used to prevent drug-induced extrapyramidal side effects.