Objective: To evaluate the antidepressant activity of methanolic extract of rhizomes of Acoruscalamus (A. calamus). Methods: Tail suspension test (TST) and forced swimming test (FST) in mice were used to evaluate the antidepressant activity of methanolic extract of rhizomes of A. calamus. Methanolic extracts (50 and 100 mg/kg i.p.) were administered daily for 7 days. Imipramine 5 mg/kg was used as standard antidepressant agent throughout the study. Results: Test extracts of A. calamus decreased immobility periods significantly in a dose dependent manner in both TST and FST. The observed results were also comparable with known standard drug i.e. imipramine. The flavonoid apigenin, which selectively binds with high affinity to the central benzodiazepines receptor, possesses important anxiolytic and antidepressant activities. The review of literature reveals that the A. calamus contains saponin, glycosides, tannin and flavonoid. Conclusions:Methanolic extract of A. calamus rhizomes shows antidepressant activity probably through interaction with adrenergic, dopaminergic serotonergic and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) nergic system. Both the models have been proved to be equally valuable for demonstration of substances with a potential antidepressant activity.
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