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. 2013 Oct;8(4):269-75.

Chemical composition and anxiolytic evaluation of Achillea Wilhelmsii C. Koch essential oil in rat

M B Majnooni  1 , A Mohammadi-Farani, M B Gholivand, M R Nikbakht, G R Bahrami
Affiliations

Chemical composition and anxiolytic evaluation of Achillea Wilhelmsii C. Koch essential oil in rat

M B Majnooni et al. Res Pharm Sci. 2013 Oct.

Abstract

Herbal based remedies are used worldwide to treat psychiatric disorders. The aim of this study was to analyse the essential oil composition of Achillea Wilhemsii C. Koch (Asteraceae) and to evaluate its anxiolytic effects in the elevated plus maze (EPM) model of anxiety in rat. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis of the essential oil showed that the main compounds of the oil were p-ocimen (23%), 1, 8-cineole (20.8%) and carvone (19.13%). The EPM results showed that 1 mg/kg (i.p.) of the oil significantly (P<0.05) increased the percentage of the time spent and the number of entries in the open arms of the maze while it did not change the total number of entries in the maze arms. These effects were not reversed with 2 mg/kg flumazenil and 5 mg/kg naloxone. We concluded that a minimum dose of 1 mg/kg of the oil has anxiolytic effects which are not probably mediated through GABA and opioid receptors.

Keywords: Achillea Wilhelmsii C. Koch; Anxiolytic; Elevated plus maze; Essential oil; GC/MS.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Effects of intraperitoneal injectio2 mg/kg, Dz 1n of essential oil; Oil 0.5 and 1mg/kg, diazepam; Dz 1mg/kg, flumazenil/oil; Flu 2 mg/kg, Oil 1mg/kg, naloxone/oil; Nal 5 mg/kg, Oil 1mg/kg, flumazenil/diazepam; Flu mg/kg, naloxone/diazepam; Nal 5 mg/kg, Dz 1mg/kg, and vehicle control were assessed on the number of entries in open arms OAE, number of entries in close arms CAE and total number of entries in open and close arms TNE of the EPM model of anxiety in rats. (n=8). The letter “a” means a significant difference p<0.05) when compared with control. The letter “b” means a significant difference p<0.05) when compared with diazepam. Data are presented as mean ±SEM.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Effects of intraperitoneal injection of essential oil; Oil 0.5 and 1mg/kg, diazepam; Dz 1 mg/kg, flumazenil/oil; Flu 2 mg/kg, Oil 1 mg/kg, naloxone/oil; Nal 5 mg/kg, Oil 1mg/kg, flumazenil/diazepam; Flu 2 mg/kg, Dz 1mg/kg, naloxone/diazepam; Nal 5 mg/kg, Dz 1mg/kg, and vehicle control were assessed on the percentage of time spent in the open arms OAT and percentage of time spent in the close arms CAT of the EPM model of anxiety in rats n=8. The letter “a” means a significant difference p<0.05) when compared with control. The letter “b” means a significant difference p<0.05) when compared with diazepam. Data are presented as mean ±SEM
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