Investigating the effect of hydro-alcoholic extract of Salix aegyptiaca on anxiety in male rat

The effects of cinnamaldehyde on acute or chronic stress-induced anxiety-related behavior and locomotion in male mice

Anxiety and stress are considered as universal psychiatric exhibitions of the present societies and lifestyles. Several experiments have been conducted to examine natural anxiolytic agents to find out an alternative to synthetic anxiolytic drugs. The present study investigated the anxiolytic effects of cinnamaldehyde (Cin) on mice behavior in the elevated plus maze (EPM) and open field (OF) tests. Sixty male Swiss mice, weighing 20-30 g, were divided into six groups including: acute stress + mazola oil; chronic stress + oil; acute stress + Cin (20 mg/kg); chronic stress + Cin; non-stress + oil; and non-stress + Cin groups. The groups were administered for seven days (once a day). The acute stress + Cin group showed a meaningful rise in the percentage of entries into the open arms compared to the acute stress + oil group (p <.05). The percentage of time spent in the open arms in the chronic stress + Cin group was significantly higher compared to the chronic stress + oil group (p < .01). The percentage of entries into the open arms increased significantly (p < .01) in the chronic stress + Cin group in comparison with the chronic stress + oil group. The Cin treated groups showed significant increases in the time spent in the center area and in the number of entries into the center area compared with the oil treated groups in OF test. The number of entries into the arms (total activity), as well as locomotor activity was not significant among groups. The results of the present study indicated that Cin, as a natural product, might have anxiolytic effects in mice behavior in the EPM and OF tests. Lay summary  The results demonstrated that the administration of cinnamaldehyde (Cin) produced anxiolytic effects in mice. Natural antioxidant products have been reported effective for anxiety. Synthetic medications have notable adverse effects. Therefore, these natural substances with broad therapeutic applicability are able to reduce anxiety-related behavior with rare side effects. According to the results, Cin could decrease anxiety-related behavior in mice.

Effects of Hypericum Scabrum extract on anxiety and oxidative stress biomarkers in rats fed a long-term high-fat diet

The continuous and long-term consumption of a high-fat diet (HFD) leads to weight gain and obesity. A HFD and obesity increase the risks of psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety and depression. In this study, we investigated the effects of a Hypericum Scabrum (H. scabrum) extract, which is an antioxidant, on anxiety in rats fed a long-term HFD. Sixty male Wistar rats were divided into the following six groups: (1) Control (standard diet), (2) Ext100 [standard diet supplemented with extract (100 mg/kg once/day)], (3) Ext300 [standard diet supplemented with extract (300 mg/kg once/day)], (4) HFD, (HFD), (5) HFD + Ext100, and (6) HFD + Ext300. The groups were fed their diet for 3 months. Anxiety was measured with the elevated plus-maze test. At the end of the study, blood samples were taken, and biochemical parameters and oxidative stress biomarker levels were determined in the plasma. Compared to the control group, the HFD group exhibited significant decreases in both the time in the open arms and number of entries into the open arms. H. scabrum extract supplementation significantly increased these parameters in the HFD-fed groups. The HFD significantly increased serum malondialdehyde levels and significantly decreased total glutathione levels, while H. scabrum extract supplementation significantly reversed these parameters. In conclusion, these results showed that a HFD increased anxiety behavior. In contrast, H. scabrum extract supplementation had anxiolytic effects and reversed the effects of the HFD, which suggested that the effects of H. scabrum extract supplementation were due to its strong antioxidant properties.