IMR Press / JIN / Volume 21 / Issue 5 / DOI: 10.31083/j.jin2105124
Open Access Original Research
Anxiolytic Effect of Satureja montana Dry Extract and its Active Compounds Rosmarinic Acid and Carvacrol in Acute Stress Experimental Model
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1 Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, Medical Faculty, Medical University Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
*Correspondence: nat9vilm@gmail.com (Natalia Vilmosh)
Academic Editor: Yoshihiro Noda
J. Integr. Neurosci. 2022, 21(5), 124; https://doi.org/10.31083/j.jin2105124
Submitted: 27 April 2022 | Revised: 20 May 2022 | Accepted: 20 May 2022 | Published: 18 July 2022
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Depression Research)
Copyright: © 2022 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.
This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Abstract

Background: Anxiety disorders are an important not only medical, but also social problem, affecting approx. 300 million people worldwide in 2019. Medications used in the treatment of anxiety are associated with many adverse reactions, which explains the increased use of herbal products as anxiolytics. Methods: An anxiolytic activity of Satureja montana, rosmarinic acid and carvacrol after 14-day long administration on an animal model of acute stress was studied. For measurement of anxiolytic effect elevated plus maze, social interaction and Vogel tests were provided as well as examination of locomotor activity. Results: The dry extract of Satureja montana at both tested doses significantly increased locomotor activity as well as the time spent in the social recognition, compared to the control groups. The extract reduced the time in the closed arms and the proportion of entries into open arms to total entries and increased the time in the open arms of elevated plus maze compared to the positive control group. Likewise, rosmarinic acid and carvacrol increased significantly the time spent with a new congener in the social interaction test. Both compounds reduced the ratio of entries into open arms to total entries similarly to the dry extract of Satureja montana. Only rosmarinic acid increased the time in the open arms and reduced the time in the closed arms. Conclusions: Satureja montana at both experimental doses exerted a significant anxiolytic activity in almost all the tests employed for evaluating anxious behavior. Carvacrol and rosmarinic acid showed a moderate anxiolytic effect.

Keywords
Satureja montana
carvacrol
rosmarinic acid
acute stress
anxiety
anxiolytic effect elevated plus maze
social interaction
locomotor activity
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