Study of sedative, preanaesthetic and anti-anxiety effects of Rosa damascene herbal extract in comparison with diazepam in rat

Rosa damascene has a special role in the Iranian traditional medicine due to its sedative, anticonvulsant and analgesic effects. Regarding its alkaloid, flavonoid and other organic compounds, this plant has always been used to reduce nervousness and treat depression and chronic insomnia. In the present time, synthetic drugs with sedative and anxiolytic properties are used for such problems but due to their side-effects and economic issues, the significance of natural medicines with fewer side-effects is of interest. Considering the importance of sedative and anxiolytic effects of Rosa damascene, we decided to compare this plant with synthetic drugs of the same properties. Two different groups of male Wistar rats received either Rosa damascene extract in doses of 150, 300, 450 mg/kg or Diazepam and dimethyl sulphoxide in doses of 1.2 mg/kg intraperitoneally 30 minutes before assessing the sleep duration, sedation and preanesthetic effects induced by intraperitoneal ketamine, 40 mg/kg. The anti-anxiety effect was evaluated by using an elevated plus maze and a rota rod. The results showed a meaningful increase in the period of sleep induced by Ketamine (P≤0.01) and also a meaningful increase in time spent at the open arms of the device in the group receiving Rosa damascene extract (P≤0.01). The results showed that the Rosa damascene extract dose 450mg/kg has sedative, preanesthetic and anxiolytic effects (P≤0.01).