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. 2011 Jan;3(1):62-6.
doi: 10.4103/0974-8490.79118.

Effect of methanolic extract of Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standley fruits on marble-burying behavior in mice: Implications for obsessive-compulsive disorder

R P Prajapati  1 , M V Kalaria, V P Karkare, S K Parmar, N R Sheth
Affiliations

Effect of methanolic extract of Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standley fruits on marble-burying behavior in mice: Implications for obsessive-compulsive disorder

R P Prajapati et al. Pharmacognosy Res. 2011 Jan.

Abstract

Context: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is the fourth most common mental disorder and is diagnosed nearly as often as asthma and diabetes mellitus. Over the last decade, the inhibition of burying of glass marbles by mice has been used as an index of anti-OCD drug action in the so-called marble-burying test. Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standley (LS), commonly known as "bottle gourd" (English), possesses several medicinal properties; little is known about its action as a nerve tonic.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to characterize the anti-OCD (anti-compulsive) activity of the methanolic extract of the fruits of L. siceraria (Molina) Standley (LS) using the marble-burying behavior in mice.

Materials and methods: The experiment was conducted in specific animal models of Swiss albino mice to evaluate marble-burying behavior.

Results and conclusions: Intraperitonial administration of 25 and 50 mg/kg of LS extract significantly (P < 0.001) decreased the total number of buried marbles. The effect was comparable to that of the fluoxetine (10 mg/kg, i.p.). Fluoxetine and LS fruit extract do not produce any overt motor dysfunction. Preliminary phytochemical screening of the methanolic extract of LS showed the presence of flavonoids, saponins, sterols, proteins, tannins and carbohydrates. The results of the study for the first time show that the plant possesses anti-compulsive (anti-OCD) activity, confirming the traditional claims. Future research should focus on the identification and the mechanism of action of the constituents from this plant.

Keywords: Fluoxetine; Lagenaria siceraria; marble-burying behavior; obsessive–compulsive disorder; preliminary phytochemical screening.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Whole plant of Lagenaria siceraria
Figure 2
Figure 2
Herbarium authentication certifi cate
Figure 3
Figure 3
Animal model for assessment marble burying behavior
Figure 4
Figure 4
Effect of methanolic extract of LS fruits and fl uoxetine on marble-buying behavior (MBT) in mice
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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