Anxiety Curing Evaluation with the Aqueous Extract of <i>Securidaca longepedunculata </i>(<i>Polygalaceae</i>) <i>Decoction</i> in Mice on the Stress Paradigm Tests

Securidaca longepedunculata is a plant which various parts are widely used in traditional medicine. Its roots are used to treat snakebite. Beyond its efficacy for snakebite treatment, S. longepedunculata is used for the treatment of other diseases including dysentery, stomach ache and mental disorders. The interest of the present study was to investigate the anxiolytic properties of S. longepedunculata roots decoction. The plant material of our study consisted of S. longepedunculata roots. The animal material consisted of male and female Mus musculus Swiss mice of 18 g and above, approximately 9 weeks old and not previously tested. They were used for the acute toxicity assessment following OECD 425 protocols. Then the evaluation of the anxiolytic activity of the decoction on acute and chronic anxiety was done using the following paradigms: Elevated Plus Maze (EPM), Open Field (OF), Hole Board (HB) and the Restrictor. Finally, some oxidative stress parameters such as catalase, sulfoxide dismutase, reduced glutathione and malondialdehyde were measured. The plant screening revealed the presence of phenolic compounds like flavonoids, saponosides and triterpenes. There were no signs of toxicity at the dose of 5000 mg/kg fourteen (14) days after treatment. The evaluation of the anxiolytic activity of this decoction on acute and chronic anxiety through the different tests showed that, the most effective dose of S. longepedunculata decoction was 213 mg/kg. In the EPM test, there was a significant (p<0.001) increase of the number of entries into the open arms entries from 7±1.30 in the negative control mice to 36 ±3.16 in the (Sl 213 mg/kg) group. The Diazepam also induced a significant (p<0.001) increase of this number. The time spent in the open arms and their respective percentages were equally increased. However, there was also a significant (p<0.001) decrease of the number of entries and the time spent in the closed arms and their percentages indicating a decrease of the level of anxiety in these mice. The OF and HB tests also showed that, the S. longepedunculata decoction would possess anxiolytic properties. This could be justified by the presence of secondary metabolites such as saponins and flavonoids. These results justify the use of S. longepedunculata roots in the traditional medicine for the treatment of mental disorders. It would be beneficial to suggest them to local populations against these pathologies.