Antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like effects of methanolic extract of Salvia spinosa L. in mice

Introduction: Development of new medicines with fewer adverse effects and more efficacies is needed for the treatment of psychiatric disorders. The present study aimed to investigate the putative antidepressant and anxiolytic effects of methanolic extract of Salvia spinosa L. (SS) in mice. Materials and Methods: Elevated plus-maze (EPM) and open field tests (OFT) were conducted to evaluate anti-anxiety and locomotor activity of animals treated with the methanolic extract of SS [12.5, 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg, intraperitoneal (IP)], respectively. Antidepressant-like activity of the extract was evaluated using forced swim test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST). Total phenol and flavonoid contents were measured using spectrophotometric methods. Results: IP administration of SS (25, 50, and 100 mg/kg) significantly increased the percentage of time spent and the percentage of arm entries into the open arms of EPM and decreased locomotor activity (100 mg/kg), compared with the control group. Furthermore, the immobility time of animals significantly decreased in both FST and TST with doses of 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg of the extract, as compared to the control group. The total phenolic content of methanolic extract was 55.17 mg of gallic acid equivalents (GAE) per gram of dry extract and total flavonoid content was 53.07 mg of quercetin as equivalents (QE)/ g of extract. Conclusion: Salvia spinosa L. has antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like effects in animal models of psychiatric disorders.