Evaluation of antidepressant-like effects of aqueous extract of sea buckthorn (hippophae rhamnoides L. ssp. turkestanica) fruitsin experimental models of depression

Herbs have been used as food and for medicinal purposes for centuries. research interest has focused on various herbs that possessantidepressant properties and may be useful adjuncts in helping the management of depression in humans. the present study was thereforedesigned to investigate the antidepressant-like effects of aqueous fruit extract of sea buckthorn (hippophae rhamnoides l. ssp. turkestanica) inanimal models of depression. in first phase of study test rats were treated with long term oral administration of sea buckthorn (40 mg/kg p.o.)and controls received an equal volume of fresh water for two weeks. in the second and last phase of study,two groups of animals were exposedto repeated restraint stress (one group from water treated and other group from sbt-fe treated) for next one week all groups of animals wereseparately submitted to forced swim test (fst),open field test (oft) and elevated plus maze (epm) tests for the bio-screening of fruit extractwith antidepressant profile. results revealed that the immobility time in the fst was significantly (p<0.05) reduced and prolong struggling(numbers of jumps) was observed particularly in rats orally administered with sbt-fe (40 mg/kg p.o.) following one week stress whencompared with their respective controls. open field ambulation was also significantly (p<0.05) increased in a similar manner. number of entriesin open arms (oa) and % time spent in oa were also significantly increased (p<0.01) and were more pronounced in sbt-fe treated ratsfollowing exposures to repeated restraint stress when compared with their controls. thus,it is suggested that aqueous fruit extract of seabuckthorn exhibited significant antidepressant-like effects in animal models of depression and may be served as a potential resource for naturalpsychotherapeutic agent,against depression.