Effects of Lavandula officinalis hydroalchoholic extract on mouse reserpine induced depression

Depression is one of the five most common diseases in the world with a prevalence of 4.4%, and Ustokhoddus is recommended for its treatment. This study was designed to determine the effects of Lavandula. officinalis extract on a mouse model of reserpine-induced depression.

Seventy-two mice were randomly divided into 9 groups: Normal saline, control extract (200 mg/kg), reserpine, fluoxetine (10 mg/kg or 20 mg/kg) + reserpine, fluoxetine (10 mg/kg) + extract (200 mg/kg) + reserpine, Three extract pretreated groups (100-200 and 400 mg/kg) + reserpine. Extract and fluoxetine were administrated by gavages daily, for 10 days, 30 min before reserpine (0.5 mg/kg) injection intraperitoneally. Behavioral evaluations were done by forced swimming, tail suspension, elevated plus maze and open field tests.

Immobility time was enhanced by reserpine (210.37 ± 2.43 as compared with normal saline 109.75 ± 3.13) and the extract decreased it, dose-dependently (140.75± 5.84 and 110.125 ± 6.46, 200 and 400 mg/kg respectively) as the same as fluoxetine (p < 0.05), in forced swimming test. The combination of extract and fluoxetine caused a reduction of immobility time more effective than each one alone. The results obtained from tail suspension were similar to the forced swimming test.

L. officinalis hydroalcoholic extract improved the depression-like behavior caused by reserpine. The effect of the combination of the extract and fluoxetine was additive.