EVALUATION OF ANTIDEPRESSANT EFFECTS OF ETHANOL LEAF EXTRACT OF Combretum micranthum G. Don (Combretaceae) IN MICE
LATEEF ABIOLA AKINPELU1,*, MURITALA AYOFE ADEBAYO2, FUNAKPO AYUBADIMINI LUBI1, AKIBU FAJANA2
1. Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Dora Akunyili College of Pharmacy, Igbinedion University,
Okada, Edo State.
2. Department of Pharmacognosy, Dora Akunyili College of Pharmacy, Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo
State.
Afr. J Pharm Res Dev; Volume 14(2): 184-194 ; 2022
ABSTRACT
Combretum micranthum (Combretaceae) leaf is used against depression in Africa traditional medicines, but there
is no scientific basis for its use. Hence, the antidepressant effect of ethanol leaf extract of Combretum micranthum was investigated using forced swim, tail suspension, yohimbine-induced lethality and reserpineinduced diarrhea tests at doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg per oral in mice. The extract at all the doses used, significantly (p<0.05) shortened the immobility time in forced swim and tail suspension tests, as well as significantly (p<0.05) reduced the number of mean feacal droppings in reserpine-induced diarrhea suggesting antidepressant effect of the extract. The extract significantly (p<0.05) potentiated the sub-effective doses of fluoxetine and imipramine, suggesting that the extract may be used as an adjunct to the prototype drugs fluoxetine and imipramine. This study therefore concluded that the extract may possess antidepressant effect and may be used alone or with prototype drugs.
Email of correspondence: akinpelu.abiola@iuokada.edu.ng;
KEYWORDS: Combretum micranthum leaf extract; reserpine-induced depression; tail suspension test; forced swim test.