evaluating the antidepressant effect of verbena officinalis l. (vervain) aqueous extract in adult rats

Introduction: the present study aimed to investigate the antidepressant effect of verbena (v.) officinalis l. aqueous extract in adult female rats. methods: the present study evaluated the antidepressant effect of v. officinalis l. aqueous (v ae) extract in female rats using the forced-swimming test (fst), light-dark box (ldb) test, and open field test (oft). the level of glycemia and histological analysis were also studied. the vae [200 mg/kg parenterally (po)] was administered orally for 7 successive days in the separate groups of rats. results: the oral administration of v. officinalis l. aqueous extract significantly decreased (p< 0.01) the immobility time in the fst, increased the time spent in the light area (ldb), and the number of entry into the central squares (oft). thus, the extract at a dose of 200 mg/kg significantly decreased the glycemia level (p<0.05) and suggested no harmful effect on brain histology. conclusion: verbena officinalis l. aqueous extract at a dose of 200 mg/kg could have an antidepressant effect in adult rats.