Evaluation of antidepressant synergic effect of sativus crocus extract and fluoxetine in mice with swimming and tail suspension tests

Introdution:. Over the past several years, therapeutic properties of saffron extract have been proven. Because of antioxidant components of this herb, it has been candidate for some disorders as depression, considering that the effects of saffron on depression and anxiety syndromes are few, the present study aimed to investigate these aspects. This was an experimental study that 36 Swiss Webster male mice with 25 to 30 g weight were randomly divided into 6 groups, including first group (normal saline), second group, Fluoxetine (10mg/kg). third group (extract50,50mg/kg), fourth group (extract 100,5mg/kg), fivth group (extract50,2.5 mg/ml and fluoxetine 5mg/kg), sixth group (extract 100,5mg/kg and fluoxetine 5mg/kg). All injections were done intraperitoneally as single dose a day, for 21 days. After the treatment period, swimming and tail suspension tests have been done for depression assay and Plus Maze test as model of anxiety test.Finally for data analysis ,one way ANOVA statistical analysis were used by SPSS, 21 software The extract has shown anti-depressant effect, which was in parallel with fluoxetine, almost as a dose dependent manner, but not in synergic with fluoxetine and the DATA of Plus Maze test for anxiety test, were not significant. According to our findings, Crocus sativus, hydroalcoholic extract has anti-depressive which has not synergistic effect with Fluoxetine so that its' anti-depressant mechanism is less related to anti-anxiety mechanism of flouxetine