BEHAVIOURAL STUDIES ON THE METHANOLIC STEM BARK EXTRACT OF FICUS INGENS (MIQUEL) MIQUEL (MORACEAE) IN MICE
OFFIAH RO1, 4, ANUKA JA2, MAGAJI MG2, SALAWU OA3, TIJANI AY3
1Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
2Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
2Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
3Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development Idu Industrial Area, P.M.B 21, Garki –Abuja, Nigeria
4Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine, Enugu State University of Science and Technology(ESUT), Park Lane, Enugu, Nigeria.
May-June 2015; Vol. 7 (issue 1): 11-18
ABSTRACT
Ficus ingens (Miquel) Miquel belongs to the Moraceae family. It is claimed to be used by traditional practitioners in North-western Nigerian for the management of mental illnesses. In this study, the behavioural effects of methanolic extract of Ficus ingens (Miquel) Miquel stem bark were investigated in mice at doses of 75, 150 and 300 mg/kg, using diazepam-induced sleeping time, hole board test, beam walking assay, elevated plus maze, elevated zero maze and staircase test in mice. The results revealed that the extract significantly (P<0.0005) prolonged the duration of diazepam-induced sleep without any effect on the latency to sleep at all the doses tested. The extract slightly decreased the number of head dips in the exploratory behaviour of mice in the hole board test. It did not significantly alter the time taken to complete task and the number of foot slips in the beam walking assay. The extract significantly (P< 0.001) reduced the total number of rearing as well as the number of upward stairs climbed in the staircase test. The extract had no significant effect on the number of open arm entries nor the time spent in the open arms as compared to the control group in both the plus maze and the zero maze. The Oral and intraperitoneal LD50 were both found to be greater than (>) 5,000 mg/kg. The preliminary phytochemical screening revealed the presence of saponins, triterpenoids, alkaloids, flavonoids, phlobatanins and anthraquinones.
These results suggest that the extract contains biologically active principles that are sedative in nature and may be responsible for the ethno medicinal use of the plant in mental illnesses.